Celine Dion required a helping hand from a member of her team while greeting fans in Paris. The 58-year-old Canadian superstar was seen teetering on a pair of towering heels as she exited her car.
While Ms. Dion appeared to be standing unaided, smiling and waving with a gloved hand, a member of her security team was crouched behind her, providing support by placing a hand on her back to keep her steady. She was dressed elegantly in a charcoal wool midi dress by Bottega Veneta, accessorized with a brown leather belt, oversized sunglasses, long brown leather gloves, heeled knee-high boots, and a black handbag. Her hair was styled in a neat bun.
The singer is in the French capital for a five-week residency, marking her first series of concerts since the cancellation of her Courage world tour in 2023. Ms. Dion revealed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (SPS), a condition that causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms. At its most severe, SPS has impacted her ability to walk and use her singing voice.
Despite the challenges, Ms. Dion has been actively engaged in her recovery. She has previously mentioned undergoing 90-minute Pilates sessions three times a week, bi-weekly ballet classes, physical and vocal therapy, and immunotherapy. She expressed a desire to offer her fans something special, stating, "It's been so long, I would like to offer them something to show how I've missed them."
Her last public performance was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The candid documentary "I Am: Celine Dion," released in 2024, offered viewers an unfiltered look into her life with SPS, including a distressing scene where she experienced a severe muscle spasm. Ms. Dion shared her reasons for allowing such personal access, explaining, "They paid for tickets. They bought my records. They gave me that luxury. So the least I can do is tell them that I'm alive."
She described her condition as "progressive" rather than a "disease," preferring to avoid the negative connotations associated with the latter term.