Award-winning singer Céline Dion has announced that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome.
Dion made the announcement Thursday morning on social media, telling fans that she will not be able to start her European tour in February as planned, E! Online reported.
The singer called the disorder “very rare” and added, “I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now. 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.”
Dion said she and her team are still learning about the syndrome which causes spasms that she says “affect every aspect of my daily life.” She said she has difficulty walking and that her vocal cords aren’t able to be used in a way to allow her to sing the way she is accustomed to.
Dion is working with a sports medicine therapist to regain her strength with the aim of taking the stage again.
Stiff person syndrome is triggered by factors such as “sudden movement, cold temperatures or unexpected loud noises,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. It is so rare that it only affects one or two in a million people.
The shows that were scheduled for the spring have been pushed back to 2024, but those that were scheduled to take place in the summer have been canceled, USA Today reported.
Dion had canceled the North American portion of the “Courage World Tour” in January because of “severe and persistent muscle spasms.” The same tour dates had been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Today reported. The spasms also forced the cancelation of Dion’s Las Vegas residency in October 2021.
Here are some memorable photos of singer Celine Dion through the years.
1996: A general view of the festivities going on during the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 19, 1996.
1997: Celine Dion and Smokey Robinson at the third annual International Achievement in Arts Awards on Sept. 28, 1997, in Beverly Hills, California.
1999: Celine Dion arrives at the 71st Academy Awards on March 21, 1999, in Los Angeles.
2000: Celine Dion appears at the Nabisco Championship Golf Tournament on March 26, 2000, in Rancho Mirage, California.
2001: Singer Celine Dion holds her 6-month-old baby, Rene-Charles, as she and her husband Rene Angelil pose for fans and photographers July 25, 2001, at the chapel of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec, for the baptism of their baby boy.
2002: Singer Celine Dion and husband Rene Angelil attend Sony Music Entertainment’s party at Morton’s Restaurant on February 27, 2002, in Los Angeles.
2003: Singer Celine Dion and dancers rehearse for the "Celine Dion – A New Day" concert at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
2004: Singer Celine Dion gets a kiss from husband Rene Angelil at a ceremony honoring her with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 6, 2004, in Hollywood, California.
2005: Singer Celine Dion and her husband and manager, Rene Angelil, walk from a news conference to a ceremony marking the opening of the 26-story, 949-room Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace September 1, 2005, in Las Vegas.
2006: Singer Celine Dion and her husband and manager, Rene Angelil, pose after Dion performed at the 41st annual Labor Day Telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association at the South Coast Hotel & Casino on September 3, 2006, in Las Vegas.
2007: Singer Celine Dion is embraced by her husband and manager, Rene Angelil, and their son, Rene-Charles Angelil, after the final performance of her show "A New Day …" at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on December 15, 2007, in Las Vegas.
2009: In this handout photo provided by Disney, Grammy Award-winning singer Celine Dion performs "O’ Come All Ye Faithful" at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa hotel on December 4, 2009, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, while taping the "Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade" holiday TV special.
2010: Singer Celine Dion backstage during the 52nd annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010, in Los Angeles.
2011: Singer Celine Dion (right) and manager Rene Angelil arrive at the 83rd annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on February 27, 2011, in Hollywood, California.
2012: Celine Dion performs during BAMBI Awards 2012 at the Stadthalle Duesseldorf on November 22, 2012, in Duesseldorf, Germany.
2013: Celine Dion poses in the press room during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 19, 2013, in Las Vegas.
2015: Singer Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace as she resumes her residency on August 27, 2015, in Las Vegas. The show had been on hiatus since August 2014 when Dion stopped performing to care for her ailing husband Rene Angelil.
2016: Singer Celine Dion performs onstage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 22, 2016, in Las Vegas.
2017: Celine Dion attends the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017, in New York City.
2019: Celine Dion attends the 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019, in New York City.
2020: In this screengrab, Celine Dion performs during "One World: Together at Home" presented by Global Citizen on April, 18, 2020.