Celine Dion holds back tears as she performs at Paris Olympics opening ceremony in comeback show during health battle
CELINE Dion has shed tears during her comeback performance at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday.
Celine, 56, left fans speechless after her first performance in two years following her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome.
Celine closed the Opening Ceremony by performing in the Eiffel Tower.
The iconic singer wore a sparkly white dress while giving it her all singing in French, despite dealing with her health issues.
She also had her hair slicked back in a low bun with her makeup touched to perfection while performing Edith Piaf’s L’Hymne à l’amour.
‘AN INSPIRATION’
As Celine performed, fans flocked to X to share their thoughts on her emotional performance.
“Celine sounded amazing! So proud to see her up there,” one said.
A second said, “This is so legendary.”
“What a performance from our queen Celine. She worked so hard to be able to sing again,” a third said.
Someone else said, “After everything she’s experienced, this is such a wonderful, beautiful thing to see. Celine Dion. An inspiration.”
THE ICONIC OPENING
On Friday afternoon, countries from all around the world came together in Paris, France to celebrate the huge event.
Many A-list celebrities were in attendance including Ariana Grande, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, and Snoop Dogg.
American singer Lady Gaga opened the show with a French cabaret and sang Zizi Jeanmaire’s Mon Truc En Plumes.
This year’s Olympians proudly waved their country’s flag while traveling down the River Seine and ending at the glistening Eiffel Tower.
Team U.S.A. was the second to last country to arrive with Paris coming in last.
NBA star Lebron James and tennis player Coco Gauff held the huge American flag while nearly 600 proud Olympians cheered on their country.
The Olympics will run for 16 days on NBC with a variety of sports including gymnastics, archery, beach volleyball, and surfing.
Keep up to date on everything Olympics with our live blog.
ARRIVING IN PARIS
This isn’t the first time Celine has made an appearance at the Olympics.
She has performed at the Games in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996, where she sang The Power of the Dream.
Celine was first rumored to perform at the games when she touched down in Paris on July 22, just days before her performance.
The singer waved to fans and appeared in good spirits when she arrived at the Royal Monceau hotel.
This is the first time Celine has performed publicly since she canceled her tour in 2023.
Celine was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in August 2022 and it has affected her ability to sing and tour.
What is stiff person syndrome?
Celine Dion stepped out of the spotlight after she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition
Stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that progresses over time.
The condition causes pain and muscle spasms that worsen over the years.
The condition is characterized by “progressive stiffness and painful spasms in the back and limbs, which are often triggered by touch, noise or anxiety, and exacerbated by movement,” per Contact A Family, a charity for families of children with disabilities.
There is currently no cure, but death from the condition is rare.
Strong spasms in the chest can sometimes cause difficulty breathing.
Stiff Person Syndrome is a condition that causes muscle stiffness and spasms throughout the body.
SHOCKING DIAGNOSIS
Celine announced in December 2022 that she was diagnosed with SPS earlier that year.
She made an emotional Instagram video, telling them she had to cancel her tour and why.
“Hello everyone, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you. I miss you all so much and can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person,” Celine said as she sat in a chair in her home.
The singer went on to say that she was finally ready to talk about her medical condition.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she went on.
“Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff person syndrome which affects one in a million people.”
She explained that she was having spasms that were affecting her vocal cords.
Celine then went on to tell her followers that she had to cancel the rest of her tour dates.
“All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most,” she ended.
However, Celine revealed that she was working with a team of doctors to get her through the pain.
‘BACK ON THE HORSE’
Aside from the Olympic Games, Celine is also planning a comeback in Las Vegas.
Sources exclusively told The U.S. Sun she is planning a limited run of shows this fall.
Celine is rumored to be performing her greatest hits for a 70-minute show.
The U.S. Sun learned that the shows will most likely take place at the Resorts World Theatre at around the time of the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix.
An insider revealed if Celine’s health gets worse the plan is to push the residency back.
Concert promoter AEG would host the shows, with a “short run at first” to see if Celine can handle performing live.
A source told The U.S. Sun that Celine, who lives in Sin City, has been rehearsing musicians and voice therapists for the last eight months.
“Her desire to return and entertain has been a huge driving force in her health battles,” the source said.