Céline Dion Shows Off Jaw-Dropping Comeback After Rare Diagnosis

Andrew Kelly / REUTERS During the worst period of her illness, Céline Dion , 58, could barely walk.

The Grammy-winning vocal powerhouse was diagnosed with an extremely rare autoimmune neurological disorder known as stiff-person syndrome in 2022.

But in an interview published Tuesday in Harper’s Bazaar , Dion showed off her remarkable progress, doing Pilates and stretching her legs into splits.

Before her diagnosis, the Canadian “My Heart Will Go On” singer had experienced a variety of symptoms, including muscle stiffness and debilitating pain, for 17 years.

“It is a progressive condition,” she said, adding, “I don’t like to say ‘disease.’” To further prove her point, Dion said, “Disease makes you go like this,” scrunching her nose.

“ ‘Kevin, you’re such a disease.’” Although the condition, which causes painful muscle stiffness and spasms, is not curable, Dion has done much to manage hers.

She has taken medication and committed to physical and vocal therapy, as well as immunotherapy.

Dion has performed only twice in the past seven years: at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the base of the Eiffel Tower, and later that same year at an event celebrating fashion designer Elie Saab.

Now, she is preparing to return to the stage for full concerts during a five-week residency at Plenitude Arena in Paris.

Her first concert is scheduled for September 12.

To prepare for the comeback, her weekly fitness routine includes Pilates three times a week in 90-minute workouts and ballet classes twice a week.

Dion also shared why she released her own Prime Video documentary, I Am: Céline Dion, in 2024.

After years of canceling concerts and hiding from the limelight, she felt her fans deserved answers.

“They paid for tickets.