Tuesday, June 11, 2024 -Canadian singer, Celine Dion has revealed that she secretly battled stiff person syndrome for 17 years before revealing it to the public.
The
singer, 56, first revealed that she had been diagnosed with the rare autoimmune
neurological disorder in 2022, but she has now shared that she's been battling
with the horrific condition in secrecy for nearly two decades before she told
the world about it.
During
a preview for an upcoming sit-down with Today Show host Hoda Kotb, the
hitmaker detailed the pain of having to hide the disorder from her supporters.
She
described keeping it from 'the people who got her to where she was' as a huge
'burden,' explaining that it felt like she had to act like a 'hero' while
secretly feeling like her 'body was leaving her.'
In a
teaser for the upcoming chat, which will air in full on Tuesday, Celine
explained that when she first started to realize something was wrong, she
didn't 'take the time' to figure out what was going on.
She
recalled struggling while her husband, René Angélil, battled his own slew
of health woes; he passed away from throat cancer in 2016.
'We
did not know what was going on [with me],' she said. 'I did not take the
time... I should have stopped, took the time to figure it out.
'And
like it wasn't enough, my husband as well is fighting for his own life.'
After
his passing, Celine said she had a hard time balancing raising her
kids, René-Charles, 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13, with her career -
all while keeping her deteriorating health a secret from the public.
'I
had to raise my kids, I had to hide, I had to try to be a hero - while feeling
my body leaving me,' she continued. '[I was] holding on to my own dreams.'
But
she said 'lying' eventually became 'too much,' adding, 'Lying for me was... The
burden was too much. Lying to the people who got me to where I am today, I
could not do it anymore.'
'Not
telling the truth was too much to carry,' host Hoda said, to which Celine
replied, 'I could not do this anymore.'
Despite
battling the disease for 17 years, Celine continued to perform up until 2022,
when she shared her diagnosis with the world and canceled all upcoming shows.
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