Ongoing Health Concerns Raise Questions About Celine Dion's Singing Career
Dec. 19 2023, Updated 12:42 p.m. ET
The Gist:
- In December 2022, Celine Dion announced via Instagram that she was diagnosed with a rare disease called stiff person syndrome.
- That diagnosis came several months after she canceled her tour due to severe spasms.
- A year later, in December 2023, Celine's sister explained to Canadian website 7 Jours that the singer "doesn’t have control over her muscles,” per The Guardian.
Legendary singer Celine Dion has seen enormous success in her career. Although many people know her for songs like "My Heart Will Go On" and "The Power of Love," she's continued to sell out arenas and was even featured on the Deadpool 2 soundtrack.
Celine's talent and voice have spanned generations, and there's no denying that she has moved countless people on an emotional level. But now, fans are worried about her health.
Over the years, fans have become increasingly concerned about Celine, questioning whether she's too thin or how she's dealing with the death of her late husband, René Angélil. Some people even speculated she had died in a plane crash.
In fact, Celine has actually opened up about dealing with health issues that caused her to delay and eventually cancel her Las Vegas residency show due to suffering from "severe and persistent muscle spasms." Keep scrolling to learn more about Celine's illness and get an update on her health.
Celine Dion has announced that she's been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. But what is it?
On Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, Celine took to Instagram to share that she has been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. In the emotional post, Celine shares that the rare disease affects one in a million people and is the cause of the spasms she's been experiencing.
Cleveland Clinic shares, "Stiff person syndrome is a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord)." Additionally, "People with this condition first experience a stiffening of the muscles of their trunk, followed over time by the development of stiffness and rigidity in the legs and other muscles in the body."
Unfortunately, the organization shares that over time, "stiff person syndrome can lead to an altered posture" and affect mobility.
Cleveland Clinic also shares that people with the disorder require ongoing treatment to manage their symptoms.
Celine announced that the diagnosis has caused her to cancel her 2023 and 2024 tour dates.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again," she said on Instagram on May 26, 2023. "I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100 percent."
"It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!” she ended the difficult share.
Celine then related that tickets purchased for the 42 cancelled dates of her Courage World Tour will be refunded via the original point of sale. She admitted to feeling "tremendous disappointment" in how things had turned out.
Celine Dion also had to cancel the North American leg of her 2022 world tour.
Unfortunately, Celine's health affecting her touring schedule has been constant. On Jan. 15, 2022, Celine posted a statement to her website saying that she was canceling the North American leg of her Courage World Tour. "I was really hoping that I’d be good to go by now, but I suppose I just have to be more patient and follow the regimen that my doctors are prescribing," she was quoted as saying.
How is Celine Dion doing now? An update on her health.
Although fans are hopeful that the iconic vocalist will soon return to the big stage, it doesn't seem that this will happen in the near future (though we remain hopeful). Celine's sister, Claudette Dion, spoke with Canadian website 7 Jours at the end of 2023, stating that her sister “doesn’t have control over her muscles," per The Guardian. She added, while Celine “works hard” to fight against the illness, it's not clear when she will get back to her musical career and "in what state."
While it's heartbreaking to watch Celine having to endure these health issues, it's our hope that she is able to get her health back on track and return to the stage to continue sharing one of her biggest loves in life: music.
