In a new cover-story interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the iconic Canadian singer opens up about her condition and her excitement for her lengthy Paris residency show run in September.
Céline Dion is opening up about her experience with stiff-person syndrome.
In September, the iconic Canadian singer will be taking the stage for the first time in nearly six years after she publicly revealed that she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that can cause muscle stiffness and, at times, bodily paralysis. Reportedly, it mostly affects women between the ages of 20 and 50.
Now, she’s speaking out about what it has been like living with the condition. In a new cover story interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she explained that she was in such “debilitating pain” that she could barely walk. Some days, she’d even have to take “a high dose of Valium” to function.
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“It is a progressive condition,” she told the publication. “I don’t like to say ‘disease.’”
After experiencing unexplained symptoms for two decades, Dion shared that they started flaring up in 2020, prompting her diagnosis two years later. Then, she began an intense rehabilitation program that included medication, physical therapy, vocal therapy and immunotherapy to keep her body moving.
The condition can cause uncontrolled muscle spasms that make it hard to move, and it forced Dion to cancel her 2023 tour after her sister revealed that the singer had “no control” over her muscles.
Her challenging road to managing the condition and working through various treatments was the focus of her candid 2024 documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, whichgave fans a true insight into how she was doing. “They paid for tickets,” Dion told Harper’s Bazaar. “They bought my records. They gave me that luxury. So the least I can do is tell them that I’m alive.”
Additionally, the doc highlighted Dion’s perseverance to keep performing: “If I can’t run, I’ll walk,” she said in the film. “If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl… I won’t stop.”
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Two years later, Dion’s comeback is in full swing. Earlier this year, she announced her first Paris residency dates, subsequently adding additional shows and extending the run into 2027. There are even reports that the “My Heart Will Go On” singer will perform at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium following new interior renovations.
During her announcement, Dion explained that the decision was a present to herself in celebration of her 58th birthday.
“This year, I’m getting the best birthday gift of my life. I’m getting the chance to see you, to perform for you,” she wrote on Instagram.
Following the news of her on-stage return, Dion released her first original music in seven years: “Dansons.” Singing over gentle strings, the track sends an important message about continuing to dance even in the face of adversity.
Ahead of her on-stage return, Dion explained to Harper’s Bazaar that she's moving forward and choosing happiness. "Sometimes it’s happy things, sometimes it’s sad, but it’s called life," she said. "Instead of questioning life, can you live life? So I’m living my life, girl. I’m living the life.”
