According to her sister, Céline Dion is unable to control her muscles due to a condition called stiff person syndrome, an autoimmune disease.
In an interview with Canadian website 7 Jours, Claudette Dion stated that Céline is putting in a lot of effort to fight her illness, but it is unclear what the future holds for her singing career. According to Claudette, both Céline’s and their family’s hope is for her to return to performing on stage, but the condition of her health remains uncertain.
Dion has been struggling with unmanageable muscle spasms for a while. In January 2022, she had to cancel some tour dates due to experiencing intense and ongoing spasms. In December, she shared with her fans: “I have been dealing with health issues for a long time, and it has been extremely challenging for me to confront these obstacles… Sadly, these spasms impact every aspect of my daily routine, making it difficult for me to walk and preventing me from using my voice to sing in the way I am accustomed to.”
In May of 2023, due to the ongoing illness, she decided to cancel all upcoming tour dates. She explained, “I am putting a lot of effort into regaining my strength, but touring can be incredibly challenging even when you are at full capacity… I want everyone to understand that I am not giving up.”
Stiff person syndrome, initially identified in 1956, is a rare and untreatable, but manageable, disorder that impacts the spinal column and brain, leading to excessive muscle stimulation and spasms.
Her sibling also mentioned that numerous individuals reached out to her organization to provide assistance: “They express their love for her and send prayers. She receives an abundance of messages, gifts, and blessed crucifixes.”
Dion, who is 55 years old, originally planned to prolong her Céline concert series in Las Vegas and also perform in other locations. However, due to her illness, she has been unable to do so. In the meantime, her fans have been able to see her in her first acting role in the romantic movie Love Again, which came out in May. According to a review by The Guardian, Dion’s performance is responsible for 80% of the film’s humor and its overall charm.
Source: theguardian.com
