Céline Dion was overcome with emotion when the audience inside L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena welcomed her with a standing ovation Feb. 4. It can be recalled that the “My Heart Will Go On” singer walked onto the Grammy stage on the arm of her eldest son to announce Taylor Swift as this year's Album of the Year winner, roughly 27 years after she herself won the top prize.
"It was very nerve-racking, but at the same time, a big honor. That's magic. That exhilaration. To view the fans and the throng. To see show business again,” Celine told Vogue France of the unexpected appearance, which is one of only a few occasions she's been seen in public since admitting a health crisis in December 2022.
More than a year after revealing that her health problems were caused by stiff person syndrome, a rare and incurable neurological and immunological disorder that causes severe muscle spasms and stiffening in the limbs, as well as troubles with her vocal cords, Céline is fighting for her life.
Her struggle was one she promised she'd never talk about, but doing so has helped her to connect with her devoted supporters.
“It’s the only way she can let fans in,” an unnamed source told Star Magazine. After canceling her world tour, her future as a performer remains uncertain.
“My body will tell me. People who suffer from SPS may not be lucky enough or have the means to have good doctors and good treatments. I have those means, and this is a gift. What’s more, I have this strength within me. I know that nothing is going to stop me,” Celine explained.
The "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" singer has been working hard to enhance both her body and mind. Celine revealed she receives athletic, physical, and vocal treatment five days per week.
"I work on my toes, knees, calves, fingers, singing, and voice," the Canadian singer divulged, adding that she must "learn to live" with the crippling ailment. "I hope that we'll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research,” Celine went on.
Resisting negativity is an important part of her approach to combating the disease, which affects fewer than 5,000 people in the United States.
“She’s putting on a brave front and doing her best to stay upbeat because she believes a positive attitude toward adversity is the key to a happy life. She may not overcome SPS, but she’s learned to accept it,” a tipster told Star Magazine.
As her illness became clear, Celine recognized she had a decision to make. “Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself. I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be,” the “When I Need You” hitmaker said.
“At the beginning I would ask myself: Why me? How did this happen? What have I done? Is this my fault? Life doesn’t give you any answers. You just have to live it! I have this illness for some unknown reason,” Celine went on.
Mole claimed Céline "beat herself up a lot" in the early months, particularly after learning she would have to cancel her global tour. "But she realizes she has a lot to be grateful for." And she's just grateful she can tell her story,” it went on.
To connect with her fans, Céline has decided to document what it's like to live with SPS, letting cameras into her environment to capture the highs and lows of her journey. The new documentary "I Am: Céline Dion," which features footage from over a year, will be released via Prime Video in June.
Céline's interview with Vogue France was probably her last before it aired. “She wants her fans to know how she’s doing and that she’s working hard every day to come back and sing for them,” the informant said.
Growing up poor, the youngest of 14 children, in Quebec, Céline knew she wanted to perform from age 5. By 12, she had met the man who would change her life, music manager René Angélil. They would wed in 1994 (he died at 73 in 2016).
“I didn’t have much time to experience life as a teenager. There was no school, I had no friends. I had the stage and my family,” Celine told Vogue.
She's now wealthy $480 million and plans to check off some of her bucket list things, like seeing the Eiffel Tower again."
Until then, Céline is pleased to live in Las Vegas with kids René-Charles, 23, and 13-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy in the same mansion she purchased for $5 million in 2003, the year she began her enormously successful Vegas residency with René.
According to the source, in the aftermath of René's death, she built a megamansion across town from the property, but after it was completed, she sold it, recognizing she wanted to stay in the house she had with René and provide some normalcy for the kids at this chaotic period.
The "That’s The Way It Is" singer is devoted to her boys. According to the insider, they are great hockey fans who enjoy supporting the Vegas Golden Knights NHL club and watching their games on TV, with Céline and her children attending two games in recent months as she has gained strength.
Aside from family, Céline has surrounded herself with the same small group of friends in Las Vegas that she has known for a long time. René was always quite particular about who he accepted into his life, and that group hasn't changed much since he died.
The songstress does not want to spend time thinking about unavoidable setbacks. Celine stated that she feels powerful and optimistic about the future. Of course, she will continue to wish she could sing for her admirers again.
“She doesn’t know when and she’s not making any promises. but she’s willing herself to think it will happen at least one more time,” the informant said.
