A Comeback For The Ages: Celine Dion Shines In First Performance Since Stiff Person Syndrome Diagnosis

As processions of boats carrying the countries' contingents sailed down the Seine River, it was the French-Canadian singer Celine Dion in a beaded white turtleneck gown, embellished with sequins and strands of beaded fringe, who stole the spotlight with a comeback for the ages.

The live performance at the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony marked Dion’s first concert since revealing her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome in December 2022, a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system.

The singer, donning Dior Haute Couture, claimed the stage atop the Eiffel Tower with a rendition of “Hymne à l’amour” by Édith Piaf, visibly holding back tears after what critics are hailing as her "triumphant comeback."

The My Heart Will Go On Singer took to X later on Friday, expressing her honour in performing at the opening ceremony and her happiness in celebrating the athletes with "all their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance."

In June, the documentary I Am: Celine Dion was released, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Irene Taylor. The intimate and gently moving documentary captures the singer’s life since her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome in 2022, offering a rare glimpse into her personal and professional struggles as she navigates this challenging condition.

In the film, she poignantly states, “I gave people apples—the best, and I shine them. But now, my branches are starting to fall, sometimes get crooked, and those branches are starting to produce fewer apples. Yet, there are still as many people in line. I don't want them to wait if I don’t have apples.” These lines are part of one of the many heartbreaking monologues in the documentary.

In one such painful moment, cameras were seen rolling even as Dion suffered from a lengthy seizure during a physical-therapy session. Director Irene Taylor, in an interview with the New York Times, said it was Dion’s decision to leave that raw footage in: “The first thing she said to me was, ‘I think this film can help me,’” Taylor recalled. “‘I think this film can help others understand what it’s like to be in my body … I don’t want you to shorten that scene.’” 

Stiff Syndrome is an autoimmune neurological condition, stiff person syndrome causes rigidity of muscles in the body, including the neck, legs, and arms, often leading to difficulty walking. The most common form of the disease causes spasms and stiffness in the torso and legs. 

In an emotional video posted to her Instagram in 2022, Dion told fans the spasms impacted “every aspect” of her daily life, from walking to using her vocal cords. “I’m working hard with my sports-medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform, but I have to admit: It’s been a struggle. All I know is singing,” she said.  

Currently, there is no cure for stiff-person syndrome. In the actress's case, she has been undergoing athletic, physical and vocal therapy consistently.

Even before her diagnosis, the actress has been on the receiving end of snide body shaming remarks. After losing her husband, René Angélil, to cancer back in 2016, Dion faced a barrage of comments about how she ‘looked anorexic’. Media websites too hopped on to the bandwagon, writing articles about how “genetics influence her being thin”. 

Responding to criticism of her weight, she said in a 2019 article with The Sun, "If I like it, I don't want to talk about it. Don't bother. Don't take a picture," adding, "If you like it, I'll be there. If you don't, leave me alone."

She says it better in her songs. In the music video for ‘Imperfections’, she wipes off all her makeup and sings: "Yeah I got my own imperfections, I got my own set of scars to hide. Before I could love you I need to learn to love myself." Of her imperfections, she says, "They’re part of me, and you are too, And I don’t really wanna choose, Can you love them the way that I love you? They make me who I am today And they won’t ever go away."

After her diagnosis, Dione was open about not wanting to give up. “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. But I won’t stop,” she had said in the documentary. She also said that she wanted to see the Eiffel tower again. And now, she’s back on stage, performing at the Eiffel tower.