‘The Burden Was Too Much’: Celine Dion Recalls Publicly Announcing Her Stiff-Person Syndrome Diagnosis

Legendary singer Celine Dion recently revealed her battle with stiff-person syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder. She initially kept her diagnosis private while trying to understand her health issues. Dion first experienced symptoms during her Taking Chances World Tour in 2008 and eventually publicly announced her diagnosis in December 2022.

Celine Dion on why she publicly announced the news of her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis

A teaser of an upcoming interview with Today’s Hoda Kotb shows Dion opening up about her battle with stiff-person syndrome. She explained that at the time of her diagnosis, she didn’t know what was happening with her health and found it difficult to share the truth with the public.

At the same time as noticing her own health issues, Dion’s late husband was battling throat cancer, leaving her with the responsibility of caring for her family while keeping her condition hidden. She described the emotional turmoil of feeling her body failing while still holding onto her dreams.

Dion eventually decided to be truthful with her fans, stating that the burden of lying became too much to bear. She recounted the struggles of her rare condition, which causes severe muscle spasms, and how it impacted her voice.

Celine Dion revealed the effect her SPS condition had on her voice

In a previously released clip, Dion described her SPS condition as feeling like someone is strangling her and affecting her ability to sing. She shared how the muscle spasms made her body feel locked in certain positions, even leading to broken ribs on occasion.

The I Am: Céline Dion documentary will be released on Prime Video on June 25.