Celine Dion has Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. Here's a timeline of her condition.
Christian Vierig
- Celine Dion performed at the Paris Olympics, her first live show since sharing her health condition.
- Dion has said that she first felt the effects of Stiff Person Syndrome in 2008.
- Here's a timeline of her health updates before and after sharing her diagnosis in 2022.
Celine Dion first noticed her Stiff Person Syndrome symptoms in 2008 while on her "Taking Chances" world tour.
In December 2022, Dion announced that she had been diagnosed with the rare neurological condition, which affects the brain and causes muscles to stiffen uncontrollably.
In a career spanning four decades, Dion has become a worldwide superstar, selling 230 million records and winning 5 Grammys. But the singer canceled concerts after the diagnosis and has not made many public appearances since.
In June, Dion appeared in a pre-recorded interview with "Today" presenter Hoda Kotb to promote an upcoming documentary about her life, "I Am: Celine Dion." It was her first broadcast interview since she shared her diagnosis.
In the interview, Dion said that she first felt the symptoms of SPS before a concert in Germany in 2008 and felt bad about lying to her fans for over a decade.
"The burden was like too much, lying to people who got me where I am today," she said.
Here's what Dion and her family have said about her health in recent years.
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Fans started worrying about Dion's health after the singer began postponing concerts.
In October 2021, Dion said she would delay her Las Vegas residency show at the new Resorts World Theatre. Per a statement, Dion couldn't perform because she was "experiencing severe and persistent muscle spasms."
"Now, I have to focus on getting better… I want to get through this as soon as I can," Dion wrote in an Instagram post.
In January 2022, Dion canceled her remaining North American shows for her Courage World Tour, which had been delayed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She again cited her muscle spasms.
"I'll be so glad to get back to full health, as well as all of us getting past this pandemic, and I can't wait to be back on stage again," Dion said.
A few months on, in April 2022, she recorded a video for fans saying she was delaying the European leg of the tour as well.
"The good news is that I am doing a little bit better, but it's going very slow, and it's very frustrating for me," she said in the video.
Dion eventually canceled the whole tour in May 2023.
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In another video, Dion shared the diagnosis, which she said she had gotten recently.
"Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to," Dion said with tears in her eyes.
Dion said that she was working with a team of doctors and sports-medicine therapists, hoping to perform again.
"All I know is singing. It's what I've done all my life, and it's what I love to do the most," she said.
Business Insider's Marianne Guenot previously reported that there is no known cure for SPS. Instead, symptoms are managed using muscle relaxants and sedatives.
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In July 2023, Dion's older sister Claudette Dion told Canada's Le Journal de Montréal that the family was struggling to find a medicine that worked.
"I honestly think that she mostly needs to rest. She always goes above and beyond, she always tries to be the best and top of her game," she said.
Claudette said her other sister Linda moved in with Dion.
Later that year, Claudette told the French-Canadian magazine 7 Jours that her sister could not control her muscles.
"What breaks my heart is that she's always been disciplined. She's always worked hard," she said in December 2023.
Claudette added that she hoped her sister would be able to perform again but wondered how.
"The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle," she said.
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In January, Dion announced that Amazon MGM Studios had acquired the rights to "I Am: Celine Dion," a documentary about her career.
Dion said it would include a behind-the-scenes look at her struggles with SPS.
She said she hoped the documentary would raise awareness and help others with the condition.
"This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me," Dion said.
In the statement, Dion referred to "the road to resuming my performing career," suggesting that she hopes to return.
But she didn't give a timeframe. It also isn't clear when the documentary will be released.
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During the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony, Dion was invited to present the album of the year award. Accompanied by her son, René-Charles Angélil, Dion received a standing ovation from the audience as she walked onstage.
"Thank you all. I love you right back," Dion said. "When I say that I'm happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart."
"Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the Grammy Awards must never take it for granted, the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world," she continued.
She gave the top prize to Taylor Swift for her album "Midnights."
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On March 15, Dion posted a picture of herself and her three sons, René-Charles, Nelson, and Eddy Angélil, on Instagram to mark International SPS Awareness Day.
"Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible," Dion wrote. "I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!"
"I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!" she added.
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On April 22, Vogue France revealed that Dion was the cover star for their May issue.
In her Q&A for the cover, Dion said she hoped that someone would find a miracle cure for the disease, but she has "to learn to live with it" until then.
"Five days a week I undergo athletic, physical and vocal therapy. I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice," she said. "I have to learn to live with it now and stop questioning myself."
Dion said her goal was to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris again — which may have been a tease about her planned performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it's over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself," she said. "I've chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be."
Dion said the love of her family, children, fans and support from her team was helping a lot with her recovery.
"People who suffer from SPS may not be lucky enough or have the means to have good doctors and good treatments. I have those means, and this is a gift," she said. "What's more, I have this strength within me. I know that nothing is going to stop me."
Dion said later that she couldn't say when she would return to performing.
"I don't know... My body will tell me," she said. "But there's one thing that will never stop, and that's the will. It's the passion. It's the dream. It's the determination."
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On June 11, Dion recalled in a pre-recorded "Today" interview how she first noticed her SPS symptoms in 2008 ahead of a performance in Germany for her "Taking Chances" tour.
"I said to my assistants and my people, 'I don't know if I can do the show. I don't know what's happening' and all that," she said. "I was very, very, very scared.
Dion said panicking made the situation worse and when she went onstage, she started to sound more nasal.
"I did not know what to say. Everybody said I looked pristine. I was not controlling myself anymore, and I want to be controlling," Dion said, adding that the team had to lower the key of her songs so she could perform that night.
"I did my very best because my fans accepted my invitation, and I didn't know what to tell them," Dion continued.
"Today" host Hoda Kotb said that in Dion's upcoming documentary, the singer said she felt bad about lying about her illness, telling fans that she had a sinus or throat infection when she canceled shows.
Dion told Hotb she didn't know what else to say to them.
"We did not know what was going on," Dion said. "I should have stopped. Take the time to figure out."
Dion said she struggled during this time because her husband, René Angélil, was diagnosed with throat cancer and eventually died in 2016.
"I had to raise my kids. I had to hide. I had to try to be a hero, feeling my body leaving me. Holding on to my own dreams," Dion said. "The burden was like too much lying to the people who got me where I am today. I could not do it anymore."
Dion also said that sometimes her muscle spasms are so severe that they break her ribs, but she vowed to keep performing.
"I'm gonna go back onstage even if I have to crawl," she said, "even if I have to talk with my hands."
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On the same day the "Today" interview was released, Dion was on the cover of People Magazine.
Dion told People for their cover story that as her symptoms intensified, she was prescribed Valium, a muscle relaxer. However, she kept increasing her medication until she was taking 90 milligrams to get through a performance.
"We started with two milligrams to see if it would help, and then 2.5, and then 3, and 15 and 50," Dion said. "It could have been fatal. I did not question the level because I don't know medicine."
"I did not understand that I could have gone to bed and stopped breathing. And you learn — you learn through your mistakes," she added.
Dion said she eventually decided to take her health seriously for her family.
"My kids started to notice. I was like, OK, they already lost a parent. I don't want them to be scared," she said. "I let them know, 'You lost your dad. Mom has a condition, and it's different. I'm not going to die.'"
"By knowing what I'm dealing with, it takes away a lot of weight and burden, and it did the same for my kids," she continued.
Dion added that she planned to return to performing but did not suggest a date.
"We're talking about putting a show together, and I have so many ideas. I can't wait," Dion said.
On June 25, Prime Video dropped "I Am: Celine Dion," which charts Dion's life since being diagnosed with SPS.
The documentary, which follows Dion as she performed final concerts before she was diagnosed with the condition, includes scenes where Dion struggles to hit certain notes.
Dion shared with audiences how SPS has tightened her muscles and caused her vocal cords to spasm, causing her voice to crack and sound thin or strained.
Dion recounted one particular moment at a concert, just as she was about to take the stage, when she felt the effects of her medication wear off.
"From my dressing room, getting backstage, saying good luck to everybody, the crowd insane, my adrenaline, my heartbeat, my pressure, I'm like, 'The dream is about to come true again for me tonight. I love it so much,'" she said.
"But then I feel a spasm, and my voice goes up. The medicine was burned out. It was gone."
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While speaking to the BBC to promote the documentary, Dion said that thanks to a combination of medication and physical therapy she could finally see a way back to performing.
"We have been working so hard to put this show together, because I'm back," she said.
According to the BBC, Dion has been preparing for a new show in Las Vegas.
"I'll be on stage. I don't know when exactly, but trust me I will scream it out loud," Dion added. "I can't wait."
Dion closed out her last residency in 2019, after performing over 1,000 concerts for more than 4.5 million people.
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Dion performed "Hymne à l'amour," a song made famous by French singer Édith Piaf, from the Eiffel Tower as the 2024 Games kicked off in the French capital.
It was the Grammy-winning artist's first live performance in four years.
Following the performance, Dion shared on Instagram post that she was "honored" and "so full of joy to be back in one of my very favorite cities."
"Most of all, I'm so happy to be celebrating these amazing athletes, with all their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance," she wrote.