Céline Dion reveals 17-year secret health battle before rare diagnosis

Céline Dion is opening up about the yearslong health battle she kept hidden from fans before finally receiving a life-changing diagnosis.

The 58-year-old singer recently appeared on the cover of the Harper’s Bazaar Global Icons issue and revealed in the accompanying interview that she had been experiencing symptoms of stiff-person syndrome for about 17 years before she was first diagnosed in August 2022.

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological disorder that causes severe muscle stiffness and painful, often unpredictable spasms.

CELINE DION DESCRIBES FEELING ‘LIKE SOMEBODY IS STRANGLING’ HER WHEN SINGING WITH STIFF PERSON SYNDROME During those years, Dion's symptoms could become so debilitating that she struggled to walk and, at times, relied on high doses of Valium "simply to function," according to the outlet.

"It is a progressive condition," Dion told Harper's Bazaar.

"I don’t like to say ‘disease.’" According to Harper's Bazaar, Dion also struggled with guilt over attributing canceled shows to sinus infections or coughs while privately dealing with far more serious symptoms.

As her unexplained health problems intensified around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dion largely withdrew from public view due to concerns that fans might question her concert cancellations if they saw her otherwise going about her life, Harper's Bazaar reported.

Dion first publicly revealed her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis in an emotional video she shared on Instagram in December 2022.

"While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what has been causing all of the spasms I've been having," she said at the time in the clip.

"Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to." After revealing her diagnosis, Dion initially postponed a string of European concerts and canceled several others.

In May 2023, she announced that she was scrapping the remainder of her Courage World Tour, canceling all remaining 2023 and 2024 dates.

In the years since being diagnosed, Dion has undergone an intensive rehabilitation regimen as she works to manage the condition and return to the stage.

According to Harper's Bazaar, Dion's regimen includes medication, physical and vocal therapy, and immunotherapy.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS As her treatment progressed, the "My Heart Will Go On" songstress slowly began stepping back into the public eye.