Celine Dion fans were in tears as they watched her close the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Friday night.
The 56-year-old Canadian singer, who struggles with incurable stiffness syndrome, looked stunning in a glittering silver dress as she performed in front of the Eiffel Tower.
She performed La Vie En Rose, originally sung by French music icon Edith Piaf.
The song was originally released in 1947 and the title literally means ‘life in pink’.
The My Heart Will Go On singer seemed close to tears as she concluded her performance, to loud cheers from the audience. Viewers at home were also emotional.
Celine Dion fans were in tears as they watched her close the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Friday night
The Canadian superstar looked sensational as she took to the stage in the French capital, wearing a glittering sleeveless dress
Someone wrote on X: ‘Celine made my ass cry #OpeningCeremony
A second said: ‘Wow Celine Dion! If you’ve seen her documentary you know… #OpeningCeremony.’
And a third said: ‘FINALLY! Queen Celine Dion is back and she sounds amazing! #Olympics #OpeningCeremony.’
Even more fans took to social media to praise the I’m Alive hitmaker for her success.
One of them said: ‘Okay, I’m really emotional from Celine’s performance, just wow! #OpeningCeremony’
Another wrote: ‘Okay, this bit with the hot air balloon and Celine Dion is divine. #OpeningCeremony.’
And a sixth person noticed Celine’s emotional ending, saying: ‘The most amazing ending… #OpeningCeremony.’
The My Heart Will Go On singer looked on the verge of tears as she ended her performance, to cheers from the audience, while viewers at home were also left emotional
The music legend performed an Edith Piaf classic at the country’s most famous landmark as the 2024 Olympics kicked off
In 2022, Celine courageously opened up about her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes muscles to become stiff and spasm
Fans of the I’m Alive singer were ‘quite emotional’ at her triumphant return to the stage
Despite the weather in France leaving her piano soaking wet, the icon remained committed to her big comeback.
In 2022, Celine announced that she had been diagnosed with the neurological condition Stiff Person Syndrome, which causes muscles to become stiff and spasm.
Celine previously promised that despite her suffering she would return to the stage, ‘even if she has to crawl for it’.
Céline sticks to her guns and prepares for her comeback performance in the French city.
Céline last performed live during her Courage world tour in Newark, New Jersey on March 8, 2020. She then canceled her tour due to the Covid pandemic.
According to Variety, the singer is rumored to open the ceremony on Friday, marking her first performance since stepping out of the spotlight.
She previously indicated in a recent interview with Vogue France that she would make her comeback in Paris.
She said: ‘I have chosen to work with my whole body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!
‘For four years I’ve been telling myself I’m not going back, that I’m ready, that I’m not ready yet… The way things are now, I can’t stand here and say to you, ‘Yeah, in four months.
“I don’t know… My body will tell me.” Céline’s heartbreaking documentary, I Am: Céline Dion, was praised by critics upon its release last month.
The poignant film, which took over a year to shoot, follows the star as she struggles to maintain a normal life and career after her diagnosis. The film has a perfect 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Céline announced in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with an extremely rare condition in which the muscles in the trunk and limbs alternately spastic and stiff.
Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), her one-in-a-million autoimmune disease, has paralyzed her voice and stolen her ability to sing
Time critic Rich Juzwiak called the film “the opposite of a vanity project” and praised Dion for her candor, including the inclusion of a difficult moment in which she struggles to sing Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is” because of the condition that causes stiffness in her chest.
The review reads: ‘In a way, I Am: Celine Dion is a meditation on aging and what happens to stars whose abilities diminish with age, rare diagnosis or not. As tragic and debilitating as it is, Dion’s condition gives her a reason to express a lot of feelings that many stars are never willing to acknowledge.
‘Nobody wants to talk about what it means to be past your prime, but SPS forces Dion to think about it.’
Chris Azzopardi of the New York Times praised Dion for allowing “raw imagery” into the film and for treating her condition with humor.
In one of those scenes, Dion is seen having a ten-minute spasm as she cries in grief and is given painkillers.
‘Dion’s spontaneously expressive personality shines through her pain in raw images that feel more connected to her healing journey, like when her physical therapist nags her about a cream she didn’t put on her feet. “Give me a break,” she says with playful exasperation.
“These uncomfortable segments dilute the powerful emotional atmosphere of watching Dion rise above her circumstances. Especially when she lets the cameras linger, delivering some of the most grim health-related scenes I’ve ever seen from a superstar on screen.”
The film’s synopsis reads: ‘From visiting her couture tour wardrobe and personal belongings to spending time in the recording studio, the documentary captures the never-before-seen private life of a global megastar.
Celine previously promised that despite her suffering she would return to the stage, ‘even if it means crawling’
‘I Am: Celine Dion is an emotional, energetic and poetic love letter to music. It captures over a year of recordings as the legendary singer pursues her journey to live an open and authentic life in the midst of her illness.’
Amazon MGM acquired the worldwide rights to the documentary and the film is available to stream on Prime Video.
Irene Taylor directed the documentary produced by Sony Music Vision, Sony Music Entertainment Canada and Vermilion Films.
“I have been struggling with health issues for a long time and it is very difficult for me to face these challenges and talk about everything I have been through,” she said in an emotional video announcing her condition for the first time.
Although she initially postponed her Courage World Tour until spring 2024, the Golden Globe winner decided to cancel it in May.
“Although it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m truly ready to get back on stage,” she told her loyal fans.
The determined artist appears to be making good on her promise to continue working on her health. “I want you all to know that I am not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!” she said at the time.
Celine’s sister recently revealed that the singer had lost control of her muscles due to her condition.
“Celine is a fighter,” an insider told US Weekly. “She doesn’t have as much control over her muscles as she used to, but she’s working with doctors and physical therapists to get better.”
She announced her diagnosis in 2022 and previously said it can cause spasms so severe they can break ribs and feel like a chokehold on the throat (2019 photo)
The source claimed: ‘Celine has been taking time off to focus on her health, but she plans to return to the stage as soon as she gets the green light from her medical team.’
Another insider confirmed the comments.
“She remains positive and cheerful and continues to attend physical therapy every day,” the insider said.
“It is her big dream to be back on stage, in whatever way, even if she can’t sing anymore. She just wants to see those beaming faces.”
According to John Hopkins Medicine, stiff person syndrome is a “rare autoimmune neurological disorder that typically causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and may worsen over time.”