Celine Dion’s recent health has been the subject of much speculation. She announced this week that she suffers from a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, resulting in her canceling or postponing live performances. “People had been telling me for some time that Celine would not be returning to live performing — maybe ever at all,” Las Vegas journalist Scott Roeben told Page Six. After losing her husband and manager, René Angélil, to throat cancer in January 2016, Dion has admitted that she has struggled ever since. Angélil helped her negotiate her first residency with Caesars Palace in 2003, and Dion said he was the only man she had ever kissed. According to AEG, her residences have accumulated $681.3 million in revenue. An insider who knew the couple said, “Since René died, it’s been very difficult. He hasn’t been there to protect Celine. He was her touchstone, he looked after everything for her. Celine relied on him for everything — her management, her finances, her music production — and things have gone downhill since his passing. “I’m not sure exactly who she has in her corner looking after her anymore, or if they have her best interests at heart,” the insider told Page Six, adding, “It’s true — she may not ever be able to perform live again.” There were fears that a new crowd of friends controlled Dion, such as her “best friend” and former backup dancer Pepe Muñoz, reported Page Six in 2019.
“When it’s Celine, it’s not what you do, it’s who you are,” Roeben said of her love of performing. “To have it taken away, it’s even more tragic. My sources believe she may not be able to return to the stage. After that initial talk of struggling with muscle spasms, we started hearing about how serious things were, but Celine is the type of person who doesn’t want people to be unnecessarily concerned: Her fans are obsessed with every breath she takes. They hang on every word. “People had been telling me for some time that Celine would not be returning to live performing — maybe ever at all,” Roeben told Page Six. In a video posted to social media this week, Dion, who earned an estimated $470 million mainly from her Vegas shows, put an end to the gossip. She announced that she had been diagnosed with a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome and that her performances would be postponed or canceled. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she said.
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“Recently, I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people,” she added, explaining that the side effects have been brutal. The “My Heart Will Go On” singer says the condition has made it difficult for her to walk and has prevented her from singing the way she “used to. “All I know is singing,” she said. “It’s what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most.” In addition, Dion is set to make her acting debut in The Love of My Life, but the film will be postponed from February to May 2023, a source told Page Six. Dion plays herself in the film, which also features her music. The film stars Priyanka Chopra as a woman dealing with the death of her fiancé, played by Sam Heughan. “Celine said she will be unveiling new songs for the movie,” the source said of Dion. “But whether she does press or not for it [remains to be seen].” However, the source added, “Celine is really tough. She’ll be OK.”
