Celine Dion will perform at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Handout/Getty
Celine Dion spoke about her experience returning to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome.
The legendary singer posted a series of images on Instagram after singing Edith Piaf's “Hymne d'amour” beneath the Eiffel Tower during the celebration.
“I am honored to perform at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony tonight and am so excited to be back in one of my favorite cities,” she wrote. “Most importantly, I am so excited to celebrate our incredible athletes, with their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance.”
She continued, “You've all worked so hard for your dreams and whether you go home with a medal or not, I hope that being here means your dreams have come true. You should all be so proud. We know how hard you've worked to be the best you can be. Stay focused and keep working hard. My heart is with you all!”
Dion's performance came after she announced she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in December 2022, postponing her upcoming College Tour dates and her Las Vegas show. Months later, in May 2023, she canceled the remainder of the tour.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the autoimmune disease of the nervous system often causes progressive and severe muscle stiffness and spasms in the legs and back.
In a June interview with Today magazine, Dion said singing with stiff person syndrome “feels like someone is choking me,” adding, “It's like someone is pushing on my larynx. When you're talking like that, you can't hit the high notes or the low notes. You get spasms.”
Later that month, I Am: Celine Dion, a documentary about the “My Heart Will Go On” singer, premiered on Prime Video. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the film's New York City premiere, Dion explained that she hopes the film will be a beacon of hope for those struggling with hardship.
“There are so many people all over the world who are suffering, who feel alone and lost, and I hope this documentary will be an opportunity for them to know that, first of all, I'm here as a mother, as an artist, as a woman, as an ambassador who wants to help people,” she said. “So many people are looking into an empty bag of hope, and it's so bleak. I felt that way for a long time, and then I realized this isn't about living. It's not even about dying. This is just about sitting still, and I didn't want that anymore. I don't think I deserve it.”