Céline Dion detailed some of the symptoms she has experienced amid her battle with stiff person syndrome, including “severe” spasms.
“I had broken ribs at one point,” Céline, 56, told Hoda Kotb during a snippet of her interview on Today released on Friday, June 7. “Sometimes, when it’s very severe, it can break some ribs.”
“It’s like somebody strangling you,” she explained. “It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx and pharynx when it gets into a spasm.”
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer first revealed she was battling the rare autoimmune neurological disorder in December 2022. The condition “most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and can worsen over time,” per Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she said in a video at the time of her announcement.
Due to her health issues, Céline ended up canceling all of her scheduled tour dates through the spring of 2024. In February 2024, the Grammy winner made a rare appearance at the 2024 Grammys to present the award for Album of the year.
“When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart,” she told viewers after being escorted onto the stage by her eldest son, René-Charles Angélil. “Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the Grammy Awards must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world. And now it gives me great joy to present a Grammy Award that two legends, Diana Ross and Sting, presented to me 27 years ago.”
Taylor Swift was the recipient of the award. The artists posed for photos together backstage. While she is dealing with a debilitating illness, Céline has decided to look toward her future with optimism as she focuses on her health.
“Celine has been performing since she was so young, aside from being a mom, being on stage and connecting with her fans is what she lives for,” an insider told Life & Style in June. “The idea of giving that up is just inconceivable for her. She’s nowhere near 100 percent better, but she’s made huge progress and is seeing this as a second chance at life.”
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