Dion diagnosed with ‘living statue’ disorder
Incurable muscle stiffness has affected vocal cords, singer reveals as she postpones European tour
CELINE DION has revealed she is suffering from a rare and incurable neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle stiffness, leading sufferers to become “living statues”. The Canadian singer, 54, announced she was postponing her 2023 European tour to “build back my strength” and the “ability to perform again” after her recent diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome (SPS).
Dion told fans that the very rare condition affects “something like one in a million people” in a social media post yesterday.
SPS is characterised by muscle stiffness and rigidity that progressively become more pronounced, leading some sufferers to describe themselves as being like a “living statue”.
The muscle spasms can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, and are triggered by unexpected noises, physical contact, stress, or emotional anxiety.
While there is no cure for SPS, there are treatments – including anti-anxiety medicines and muscle relaxants – that can slow down its progression.
In an Instagram video, the singer said the condition has caused her to have spasms, affecting her ability to walk and her vocal cords. She said they “affect every aspect of my daily life”.
Looking tearful, the five-time Grammy winner told followers: “As you know I’ve always been an open book and 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.”
The singer, who has three sons, René-charles, 21, and 11-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy with her late husband René Angélil, went on to say: “It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.” Several shows – including in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London – have now been pushed back, while others have been cancelled.
She said: “’I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better and my precious children who are supporting me and giving me help.”
But she added: “I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing. It’s what I’ve done all my life and it’s what I love to do the most.
“I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage performing for you.” Dion first hinted she had health issues in January, when she cancelled the North American leg of her “Courage” world tour. It came three months after she was forced to call off a return to her Las Vegas residency over the same health issue.
In 2014 Dion said she was putting her career on hold “indefinitely” as her husband battled cancer.
Although her performances resumed a year later, she stepped away from the stage again in early 2016 following the deaths of both Angélil and her brother Daniel Dion.