An interview awaited by fans of the Canadian artist. The singer Céline Dion was the guest of Anne-Claire Coudray, in the 8 p.m. TF1this Sunday, June 16, while her documentary “I am: Céline Dion” is due to be released on Prime Videoon June 25.
In this interview, recorded at the end of May in Las Vegas in the United States, the singing star spoke about the illness from which she has suffered since December 2022, stiff person syndrome. This autoimmune disease, with no known cure, causes acute pain, difficulty moving and spasms.
“I want to be on stage tomorrow. But if I do too much, I can have a seizure. The body stiffens, the voice, everything. Everything stops working. For a few minutes or hours », she explained. His first symptom appeared “almost 17 years old”. “It started in the voiceshe stressed. “It was spasms […] Like I put my hand on your (throat) and nothing works. It happened to me in the middle of a concert, described the singer before specifying that shows were canceled “when I couldn’t sing”.
“I had no choice but to leave the stage”
Faced with the difficulty of establishing a diagnosis, Céline Dion confided that she made the choice of self-medication. “I started with small things, until I surrendered… with very dangerous drugs, to continue,” she clarified. To the journalist Anne-Claire Coudray who asked her if she had taken “Valium” (diazepam, a benzodiazepine), Céline Dion replied: “Yes, among others”.
“When we are at a very dangerous level of medication and it no longer works, we have two choices: either we continue, we stop breathing, it’s over […] We put so much weight on ourselves that we’re going to die. (But) it’s not worth it when you’re a mother”also declared the singer. “I had no choice but to leave the stage, the disease took control of my vocal cords and everything else”she admitted, moved. “I am afraid for my life and for my children.”
Read also: “One day at a time”: Céline Dion opens up about her fight against illness
“Don’t experience pain alone. […] Agree to talk about it but also to consult. Don’t suffer alone »urged the singer. She who is “born to be on stage” states, however: “I’m going to come back on stage”. ” I do not know when “concedes Céline Dion. “But let me say see you very soon”.
