Celine Dion attends the Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2019 2020 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 02, 2019 in Paris, France. Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Getty Images
Celine Dion‘s sister has given a sad update about the singer’s health.
As Celine continues battling Moersch-Woltman syndrome, also known as stiff-person syndrome, the “My Heart Will Go On” vocalist now has “no control of her muscles,” according to Claudette Dion. “She works hard,” Claudette told French publication 7 Jours, per CBS News. “What makes me sad, is that she was also so disciplined.”
She added that the hope is for the Grammy winner to be able to return to the stage, though the state in which she’d do so is unclear. “The vocal cords are muscles, but so is the heart,” said Claudette. “That’s what gets to me. Because it’s one in a million case, scientists don’t have that much research on the topic, because it didn’t affect that many people.”
Billboard has reached out to “The Power of Love” singer’s rep for comment.
Celine revealed in December 2022 that she’d been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare condition marked by uncontrolled and severe spasms that sometimes caused her difficulties walking and using her vocal cords appropriately. She was ultimately forced to cancel her planned tour dates earlier this year.
In the fall, she made her first public appearance in more than three years, attending a hockey game with her three sons in Las Vegas to support her hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens. After the game, she posed for photos and chatted with the team.
Just one week later, the hitmaker attended Katy Perry’s Las Vegas residency. The “Firework” singer gave the superstar a shoutout from the stage, telling fans, “Katy Perry, if you’re wondering. I’m not Celine Dion. That show is coming up next!”
