Celine Dion has opened up about her battle with stiff person syndrome, revealing she spent four years inside her home to avoid public scrutiny after cancelling her shows.
The iconic singer, now 56, shared her experience on Hoda Kotb’s Making Spaces podcast, which aired on Wednesday.
Dion explained that she didn’t leave the house after cancelling her performances, fearing that fans might think she wasn’t genuinely ill.
“I was like, ‘I need to do what I need to do, but I also need to tell the world what’s happening.’ I had proof of what was going on with me,” she said.
The singer first noticed symptoms of the disorder during her Taking Chances World Tour in 2008. Reflecting on the heavy burden, Dion said, “I can’t go and see my kids play golf. What if those people were supposed to see me on stage two years ago, and they’re like, ‘But how come she’s watching her kid and cancelling shows? She’s not that sick.'”
Her fear of public misunderstanding led her to stay indoors. “If I go outside, I’m supposed to be on stage. So I stayed inside. So four years inside,” she revealed. Hoda Kotb gasped, repeating, “Four years?” Dion confirmed, “Yeah. Four years.”
Throughout this challenging period, Dion insisted on living with her children, acknowledging that their presence was a significant source of support.
“I think about it sometimes – I would be very lonely, and it would be harder if I had no kids,” she said. Dion has three children with her late husband, René Angélil: René-Charles, 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13.
Diagnosed with the rare autoimmune and neurological syndrome in 2022, six years after Angélil’s death from throat cancer, Dion’s condition causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms. While incurable, medication and physical therapy can help manage the symptoms.
June 25.
Dion recently discussed how she broke the news to her children, who had started to notice her deteriorating mobility. “I was like, ‘Okay, they already lost a parent. I don’t want them to be scared,'” she recalled. She reassured them, “You lost your dad, [but] mom has a condition, and it’s different. I’m not going to die. It’s something that I’m going to learn to live with.”
She first revealed her condition to the public in a tearful video on Instagram in December 2022, leading to the cancellation of her global tour. Dion’s health struggles and personal journey are further explored in her new documentary, I Am Celine Dion, set to premiere on Prime Video on June 25.
Fans and the music industry continue to support Dion as she navigates this difficult period, hoping for her eventual return to the stage.
