Céline Dion suffered symptoms of 'human statue' disease for 17 years before getting a diagnosis
Céline Dion might be battling a rare neurological disorder, but it was never going to stop the 58-year-old from performing for her fans again.
The Canadian star was diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS) in 2022 and went public with the news shortly after.
She said in a video shared to social media at the time: "I've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and its been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I've been going through.
"Recently I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the Stiff-Person Syndrome which affects one in a million people.
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"While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what's been causing all the spasms I've been having."
In a bit to tackle her diagnosis head on, Dion took a step back from music and performing. She hasn't done her own show since Newark, New Jersey, on March 8, 2020.
Dion has done the odd performance since then, including at Opening Ceremony at the Paris Olympics in 2024 – which she reportedly wasn't paid for. But she's now preparing to make her big comeback after announcing in March that she's doing a 10-night residency at the 40,000-capacity Paris La Défense Arena, France, over September and October.
Dion will then perform another 10 nights in May 2027, per the dates listed on her website.
While Dion was only diagnosed six years ago, apparently the iconic singer had been experiencing symptoms of SPS for 17 years, she recently revealed to Harper's Bazaar.
"It is a progressive condition," Dion told the fashion magazine. She added that she doesn't like to say 'disease' as it makes people 'go like this' and scrunched up her nose.
Appearing to quote a line from Home Alone, Dion said: "'Kevin, you're such a disease.'"
According to Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of SPS include muscle stiffness or rigidity and painful muscle spasms.
It can affect somebody at any age, but signs of it usually begin between the ages of 30 and 40.
Cleveland Clinic adds: "Symptoms can take several months to a few years to develop. Some people’s symptoms remain the same for years.
"Others experience slowly worsening symptoms, including more severe spasticity/rigidity, which can limit their ability to perform activities of daily living."
Dion appears to have her condition under control enough that she feels like she's ready to return to the stage again. In preparation for her Paris shows Dion is doing 90-minute Pilates sessions three times a week and ballet classes twice a week, according to Harper's Bazaar.
It's her fans that have made her want to return to music, in particular because she suspended her entire 2023 tour at the last minute.
Dion also noted that its her devoted fans that's given her the life she's currently living and the opportunity to document it in her 2024 docu-series, I Am: Céline Dion.
"They paid for tickets," she said. "They bought my records. They gave me that luxury. So the least I can do is tell them that I’m alive."
Dion's first show in Paris is scheduled to take place Saturday, September 12.
Niamh Shackleton