Céline Dion: 17 Years of Pain and Valium Before Diagnosis
The singer returns to the stage in Paris after a years-long battle with stiff person syndrome and reveals what she went through.
The singer returns to the stage in Paris after a years-long battle with stiff person syndrome and reveals what she went through.
Céline Dion, the 58-year-old Canadian singer, has revealed that she struggled with an unknown illness for nearly 17 years, at one point relying on Valium just to function. In a candid profile published in Harper's Bazaar, she described the pain and struggles she faced both on and off stage, as well as how far she went to keep performing.
According to Billboard, symptoms began years before she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in 2022, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms. Before doctors identified the cause, Dion attributed canceled shows to common ailments like sinusitis. Behind the scenes, however, she was suffering; the pain was sometimes so severe that she could barely walk. In desperation, she turned to near-lethal doses of Valium to ease anxiety, seizures, and muscle spasms, as she admitted in a 2024 documentary.
Stiff person syndrome is a progressive autoimmune neurological disorder that can cause intense pain, muscle stiffness, and spasms. It affects one to two people per million, and after publicly announcing her diagnosis, Dion decided to reduce her public appearances. In the documentary, she shared that her health issues also affected her voice, recalling a particularly severe episode during which she felt terrified and paralyzed. She also admitted to taking painkillers and antidepressants to keep symptoms under control. "It's a progressive condition. I don't like using the word 'disease' because it makes people uncomfortable," she told Harper's Bazaar.
Dion publicly announced her diagnosis in December 2022, after which she canceled the remaining dates of her Courage World Tour. She had previously canceled her North American tour in 2022 and her European tour for 2023-2024 due to the illness. When symptoms of the then-undiagnosed disorder worsened early in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the singer withdrew from public life and did not perform for three years, fearing that fans might think she was living carefree while canceling concerts.
Upon announcing her diagnosis in 2022, she said: "I've been dealing with health issues for a long time, and it's been really hard for me to face them and talk about everything I've been going through. I was recently diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which affects one in a million people. While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know that it's what's been causing all the spasms I've been having." She added that she misses her audience dearly and always gives 100 percent on stage.
These revelations come just before the Grammy-winning singer returns to the stage with a sold-out residency in Paris, her first solo concerts in over six years. The residency at La Défense Arena begins on September 12 and runs for five weeks, featuring 16 concerts through October 17. Due to overwhelming demand, an additional 10 dates have been added for May 2027.
Dion last performed in 2024 at the Paris Olympics, singing Édith Piaf's 'Hymne A L'Amour' from the Eiffel Tower. Ahead of her return, she has also released new songs, including the French single 'Bonjour, Pardon, Merci', which followed 'Dansons' in April. Since her diagnosis, she has undergone a range of treatments, including medication, physical therapy, vocal therapy, and immunotherapy. To prepare for her return, she has been doing 90-minute Pilates sessions three times a week and ballet classes twice a week. In addition to Pilates, she is also preparing with weight training, treadmill work, and the reformer machine.
In her interview with Harper's Bazaar, Dion explained why she is returning. "It's been so long, I would like to offer them something to show how I've missed them," she said of her fans. She added: "They paid for tickets. They bought my records. They gave me that luxury. So the least I can do is tell them that I'm alive."
Despite the challenges, she has maintained her signature optimism. "Instead of questioning life, can you live life? So I'm living my life, girl. I'm living the life," she said. Her wardrobe chief and creative advisor, Annie Horth, has hinted that the show will be "grandiose," and singer Adele said that her "love for ballads is definitely a direct pass down from her. She's dramatic, and I love being a drama queen."
The economic impact of her return to Paris could be enormous. Alexandra Dublanche, president of Choose Paris Region, estimated that the concerts could bring between 300 and 500 million euros to the local economy. Dion's foundation has also donated $2 million for research into autoimmune neurological disorders.
