After announcing that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome , international superstar Celine Dion announced the cancellation of all her live performances scheduled for 2023 and 2024, telling fans she was not strong enough to do so because the disease was affecting her singing.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the 55-year-old told fans: “I’m so sorry to disappoint you all again.”
She added, “Even though it makes me sad, we should cancel everything until I’m ready to get back on stage.”
Also, the statement quoted Dion as saying, “I am working hard to rebuild my strength, but the rounds can be very difficult even when you are fully fit.”
Impactful video
In December 2022, the French-Canadian singer posted an emotional video on Instagram saying that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome and that she would not be ready to start a European tour in February as planned.
She said the disorder causes muscle spasms and “doesn’t allow me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I used to”.
The Carriage World Tour began in 2019, and Dion completed 52 shows before the COVID-19 pandemic put the rest on hold.
It also later canceled North American tours due to health issues, and delayed the European leg of the tour.
On Friday, those late European shows were canceled entirely, including dates in London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Zurich.
A rare and poorly understood syndrome
The tour was to be Dion’s first world tour in a decade and the first without her husband and manager Rene Angélil, who died of cancer in 2016.
Stiff person syndrome is a rare condition that is not fully understood. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, it is characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and extremities and heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can lead to muscle spasms.
The institute says that abnormal postures, often hunched and rigid, are a feature of the disorder.
People with stiff person syndrome may not be able to walk or move, or they may be afraid to leave the house because street noise, such as the sound of a car horn, can trigger convulsions.
Also, most individuals with SPS fall frequently and are unable to stand up, and because they lack normal defensive reflexes, their injuries may be severe.
Although there is no cure for stiff person syndrome, there are treatments — including anti-anxiety medications and muscle relaxants — that can slow the progression of the disorder.
