Celine Dion opened up about her struggle with stiff person syndrome (SPS) in an interview with TODAYIt's Hoda Kotb. In a chilling description of what it's like to perform with this neurological condition, the artist said that singing now feels like “someone is strangling you.”
“It's like someone is pushing on your larynx, pharynx,” Dion explained, as he demonstrated the effect by pressing on his throat. “It's like you're talking like this and you can't go up or down.”
Dion revealed that he was diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disease, which causes progressive stiffness of the muscles of the torso, arms and legs, in December 2022.
Speaking to Kotb, Dion added that SPS also affects her abdomen, spine and ribs. “Sometimes when it's really bad, it can break some ribs,” she explained.
“It seems that if I point my feet, they will stay still. [in that position],” she continued. “Or if I cook, my fingers, my hands will get into position. They're cramping, but it's like you're in a position where you can't unlock them.”
Watch the interview clip below before it airs in its entirety on June 11 at 10:00 pm ET on NBC.
Dion was forced to cancel a tour to focus on recovery from stiff-person syndrome, but made a surprise appearance at the Grammys earlier this year to present Taylor Swift with the Album of the Year trophy.
The legendary singer will delve into her health problems in the next documentary I am: Celine Dionwhich will premiere on June 25 on Prime Video.
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