Celine Dion has revealed that she has been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease.
The French-Canadian singer said on Instagram that the condition makes her muscles spasm uncontrollably.
It has led to difficulties walking and singing, she said, meaning she will be unable to play planned shows in the UK and mainland Europe next year.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time,” said Dion.
“And it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” the 54-year-old continued, in an emotionally-charged video.
“Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome which affects something like one-in-a-million people.
“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms I’ve been having.”
She added: “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I’m used to.
“It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.”
In 2014, the Celine Dion said she was putting her career on hold “indefinitely” as her husband René Angélil battled cancer. Although she resumed performances a year later, she stepped away from the stage again in early 2016, following the tragic deaths of both Angélil and her brother, Daniel Dion. She eventually returned with the 2019 studio album Courage, which featured collaborations with Sia, Sam Smith and David Guetta.
Dion however, reassured her fans that she had “a great team of doctors working to help her get better” while her “precious children” were “supporting and giving her help”.
