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
Trump's Madison Square Garden event features crude and racist insults
Donald Trump took the stage Sunday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden to deliver his campaign's closing argument with the election nine days away after several of his allies used crude and racist insults toward U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and other critics of the former president.
B.C. election results: Mail-in ballots heavily favour NDP, only absentee ballots left to count
The majority of mail-in ballots tallied this weekend for the final count in B.C.’s nail-bitingly close 2024 provincial election went to the NDP, increasing the party’s chances of clinching a third term.
Here's when you need to change your clock back
Millions of Canadians will notice their clocks turn back by one hour on Nov. 3, marking the end of daylight saving time this year.
New polls show Sask. NDP leading over Sask. Party ahead of election day
A pair of new pre-election polls indicate that the Saskatchewan NDP has a slight lead ahead of election day.
17-year-old charged for driving 188 km/h on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
A 17-year-old Ottawa driver was caught speeding nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417.
Hollywood star Victor Garber gets emotional after surprise meeting with his former teacher in London, Ont.
Victor Garber got teary-eyed when he walked into a brunch in his honour Sunday in London, Ont.
Another bumpy week ahead as Trudeau faces deadlines from Liberal MPs, Bloc
Another week, another raft of imminent challenges to Justin Trudeau's leadership of both the country and the Liberal Party.
He lost a finger and survived a kidnapping. Then, this climber took on a 9,000-foot 'death-trap'
With jaw-dropping big wall ascents and a life packed with adrenaline and adventure, climber Tommy Caldwell has had a career worthy of – and captured by – a feature film.
How to make sure your used clothes go to the right place – and not to organized crime
Giving away used clothes for a second life feels like an act of charity – and it often is. But it’s become more complicated. A W5 investigation has discovered allegations that organized crime players are muscling in on charities to access their donation bins.