It was a huge moment of triumph as Celine Dion returned to the stage at the Paris 2024 Games’ opening ceremony. For Dion and her fans it has been a tumultuous time watching her battle a a rare, progressive condition known as stiff person syndrome.
Multiple U.S. outlets and the French newspaper Le Parisien teased Dion’s performance earlier on Friday as fans waited to hear her perform Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour.”
Dion’s performance of the French language classic was a hit: American singer Kelly Clarkson, who was a co-host for the NBC broadcast, was moved to tears on live television reacting to the moment — at one point having to pause while speaking.
It was to be the superstar’s first concert performance since her diagnosis was revealed, and a major public moment for Dion, 56, to show she can perform again and overcome her health battles.
Spectators began to appear ansty online in the run up to Dion’s performance on Friday, with one user on X humorously comparing it to the movie Titanic. In the post, Titanic main character Rose DeWitt Bukater is seen as an older woman, describing the years she has lived.
The games kicked off with the opening ceremony on Friday, ahead of most competitions — soccer and rugby already began matches on Wednesday.
Friday’s opening ceremony took place along the River Seine instead of being held indoors like many opening ceremonies in past Olympic Games. Officials said that there would be a four-mile-long flotilla of nearly 90 boats to carry athletes from more than 200 countries past thousands of spectators.
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The NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke say the cause of Dion’s disease is still unknown.
In her 2024 documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion,” the pop legend brings viewers into her life to witness some incredibly private moments dealing with the condition. It is characterized as a “stiffness of the trunk or limb muscles,” and causes “frequent muscle spasms” that are often debilitating, as Dion described.
