Celine Dion Faces ‘Unimaginable’ Medical Crisis in New Documentary

Celine Dion is giving fans an intimate look at her life with stiff person syndrome.

In a newly released documentary, the iconic singer faces a terrifying medical crisis during a physical therapy session, all captured on camera.

Dion revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare and progressive neurological disorder. However, in her new documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion,” she discloses that she had been dealing with symptoms for 17 years.

“I need my instrument. And my instrument was not working. So we started to elevate the medicine,” Dion, 56, said, reflecting on her difficulty hitting certain notes during her 2018 and 2019 tours.

Although she completed her 2018 tour, Dion had to postpone several dates from her 2019 tour due to a “common cold” before the pandemic forced its shutdown.

Her tour resumed in 2022, but she continued canceling and rescheduling shows. It wasn’t until she announced her diagnosis that she officially canceled the rest of her appearances.

“I can’t lie anymore,” Dion admits in the documentary. “From a sinus infection to an ear infection to whatever. Sometimes I would point my microphone toward the audience and have them sing. There were moments where I cheated and tapped on the microphone as if it was the microphone’s fault.”

Also in the documentary, Dion shares an extremely vulnerable moment where she experiences a full-body spasm.

While lying on a massage table and performing exercises with her physical therapist, Dion’s foot begins to cramp. Within minutes, her entire body seizes and locks up to the point where she is unable to communicate with those in the room.

As the camera continues to roll, another member of her medical team enters with benzodiazepine nasal spray and administers it to Dion, who, though motionless, is crying out in pain.  The video is difficult to watch.

Once the spasms have subsided, typically lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, Dion is able to sit up and speak.

“Every time something like this happens, it makes me feel so embarrassed,” she says. “I don’t know how to express it, you know, to not have control over yourself.”

Her physical therapist speculates that the attack was brought on by being “overstimulated” from an earlier singing session.

“If I can’t get stimulated by what I love, then I’m going to go on stage, and you’re going to put the pulse oximeter on me and turn me on my back?” she wonders.

Dion hopes that one day soon she’ll be able to return to the stage. You can watch the harrowing footage of her seizure here. VIDEO

This is an incredibly moving documentary. I urge everyone, even those who aren’t fans of Celine Dion, to watch it.