Celine Dion says symptoms of her illness persisted for years: 'I should have stopped'
Celine Dion says she experienced terrifying symptoms for years and decided to go public with her rare illness once the burden of lying to fans about her condition became "too much."
The Canadian superstar opened up about her life-altering neurological disorder in a preview of her sit-down interview with NBC's Hoda Kotb airing tonight, saying she should have stopped performing earlier to figure out what was wrong.
The 56-year-old singer says she first began noticing symptoms of stiff person syndrome during her Taking Chances World Tour in 2008, as her voice faltered during shows in Germany and her body became more rigid.
Dion says she and her team kept quiet about it because they didn't know what was going on with her health.
It took more than a decade of tests and treatments for Dion to get an official diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, a progressive condition that leads to muscle rigidity and painful spasms.
Dion says she finally shared her diagnosis with the world in December 2022 because she felt like she was "lying" to the people who got her where she is today.
She told Kotb that her body was failing her while her husband René Angélil was dying of cancer and she was trying to raise their kids.
Her condition got so severe that at one point she had "broken ribs" from the spasms, Dion said.
"I should have stopped, take the time to figure it out."
But the singer is vowing to return to the stage, even if she has to "crawl."
“I am Celine Dion, because today my voice will be heard for the first time, not just because I have to, or because I need to. It’s because I want to and I miss it," she said.
The full interview with Dion airs on NBC at 10 p.m. ET.
A documentary about her health struggle, "I Am: Celine Dion," is set to premiere June 25 on Prime Video.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978852.1722008165!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before Jasper can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
BREAKING Celine Dion performs at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
Canada's Christine Sinclair: 'We were never shown drone footage'
Canada soccer great Christine Sinclair said on Friday national team players were never shown drone footage during the more than two decades she was on the team, following a spying scandal that cast a shadow over the Canadians at the Paris Games.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn $146,000 for water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
She couldn't stop thinking about the guy she met at the Athens Olympics. Then a message from him changed her life
Omaira Gill grew up counting down the days to each Olympic Games. She wasn’t especially sporty, so she ruled out the prospect of competing pretty early on. But she still harboured Olympic dreams – even just spectating would do.