Celine Dion has been diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disorder. In an emotional video posted on Instagram on Thursday, the ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer revealed her health while also announcing a further postponement of her European tour.
“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 talk about everything I’ve been going through. Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people,” Celine Dion said.
“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all the spasms I’ve been having. Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she tearfully said.
When the 54-year-old cancelled the North American leg of her Courage World Tour in January, she explained that she had “severe and chronic muscle spasms.”
Many of her European performances scheduled for spring 2023 have now been moved to spring 2024. Only the concerts slated for August through October 2023 have been cancelled. But eight of her gigs throughout the summer of 2023 remain.
The Canadian singer is currently slated to start performing again in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in August 2023.
SPS is characterized by varying levels of muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and heightened sensitivity to sound, touch, and emotional distress, which can cause muscle spasms.
