Céline Dion Reveals Stiff-Person Syndrome Symptoms Began 17 Years Before Diagnosis

Céline Dion has revealed that her struggle with stiff-person syndrome began years before she was officially diagnosed with the rare neurological condition.

In a new Harper’s BAZAAR cover story published Tuesday, Aug. 18, the 58-year-old singer said she first experienced symptoms about 17 years before receiving her diagnosis in August 2022.

Stiff-person syndrome affects roughly one in a million people. According to the Stiff Person Syndrome Foundation, the condition can cause severe muscle stiffness, painful spasms, anxiety and episodes so intense that they can lead to dislocated joints or broken bones.

For Dion, the symptoms eventually became so severe that walking was sometimes difficult. She also said she relied on high doses of Valium at times just to function.

“It is a progressive condition,” Dion told Harper’s BAZAAR, explaining that she prefers not to describe it simply as a “disease.”

Despite her health struggles, Dion is determined to return to the stage. She said she announced a three-week residency in Paris because she wanted to reconnect with the fans she had been away from for so long.

“It’s been so long, I would like to offer [fans] something to show how I’ve missed them,” she said.

Dion publicly announced her diagnosis in December 2022. She later gave fans a deeper look at her life with the condition in the 2024 Prime Video documentary I Am: Céline Dion.

Her illness has also affected her three sons: René-Charles, 25, and 15-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy. Dion has said she wanted to reassure them, particularly after they lost their father, René Angélil, in 2016.

“I barely could walk at one point, and I was missing very much living,” she previously said. “My kids started to notice.”

Dion explained that she told her children that although she had a serious condition, they did not need to fear losing another parent.

“I’m not going to die,” she recalled telling them. “It’s something that I’m going to learn to live with.”

After stepping away from the stage because of her health, Dion made a highly anticipated return in July 2024, performing at the base of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Later that year, she also performed at the 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab fashion show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Now, Dion is preparing for another major comeback. The “My Heart Will Go On” singer is scheduled to begin a series of performances in Paris in September 2026.

“I’m so happy. I’m so ready to do this. I’m feeling good, I’m strong. I’m feeling excited,” Dion said in an Instagram post in March. “I can’t wait to see you again.”

For Dion, the return represents more than another concert series. After years of living with a debilitating condition and stepping away from the spotlight, she is once again preparing to do what she has always done: stand on stage and sing for her fans.