Celine Dion has revealed that she experienced symptoms of stiff-person syndrome for 17 years before receiving a diagnosis in 2022, and relied heavily on Valium as a result.
Prior to doctors identifying the cause, Dion attributed canceled performances to common ailments such as sinus infections. In private, she was struggling with debilitating pain that sometimes left her barely able to walk.
Dion said she relied on high doses of Valium to function during those years. Describing the condition, Dion said, “It is a progressive condition. I don’t like to say ‘disease.’”
The revelations come shortly before the Grammy-winning singer returns to the stage for a sold-out Paris residency beginning September 12, marking her first headlining shows in more than six years.
But what causes stiff-person syndrome, and how is it treated? Click through to learn about the disease and its most famous victim.