Celine Dion is opening up about her surprise appearance at the Grammys earlier this year, which marked the singer’s first appearance since being diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder Stiff Persons Syndrome in late 2022.
In a video with Vogue France, in which Dion recounts memories she associates with some of her favorite fashion moments of her career (including singing “My Heart Will Go On” at the Academy Awards and performing at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards), she also recalls her experience at the Grammys in February.
“It was very nerve-racking, but at the same time, a big honor,” Dion told the outlet. “That magic, that excitement. To see the fans, to see the crowd, to see show business again.” She added: “It took a lot, a lot out of me. But my son, René Charles, RC, came and gave me his support.”
Dion also addressed one of the most-talked-about moments from the evening, when Dion presented Taylor Swift the Grammy for album of the year for Midnights. Swift drew criticism for seemingly ignoring Dion while accepting her Grammy onstage.
“To present the award, the album of the year, to Taylor Swift, it was an honor because she’s having the time of her life and I’m the one who’s presenting it to her. But it’s always very, very touching when you have a standing ovation,” Dion said.
Though Swift garnered backlash in the moment, photos from backstage seemed to tell a different story, as one image depicted Swift and Dion posing together and smiling, with Swift hugging Dion.
In Dion’s Vogue France cover story, the five-time Grammy winner noted that she was honored to be in the spotlight for Vogue France at age 55.
“I’m very proud that, at 55, I’ve been asked to reveal my beauty,” Dion said. “But what is beauty? Beauty is you, it’s me, it’s what’s inside, it’s our dreams, it’s today. Today, I’m a woman who is feeling strong and positive about the future. One day at a time.”
Dion previously had to postpone her tour dates for 2023 due to her diagnosis, and says her plans for returning to performing are vague at the moment.
“I’ve been saying to myself that I’m not going back, that I’m ready, that I’m not ready,” Dion said. “As things stand, I can’t stand here and say to you: ‘Yes, in four months.’ I don’t know. … My body will tell me. On the other hand, I don’t just want to wait. It’s morally hard to live from day to day. It’s hard, I’m working very hard, and tomorrow will be even harder. Tomorrow is another day, but there’s one thing that will never stop, and that’s the will. It’s the passion. It’s the dream. It’s the determination.”
