Celine Dion Shocks Grammys With Surprise Appearance After Stiff-Person Syndrome Diagnosis, Earns Huge Standing Ovation

Celine Dion stunned the Grammys by making a surprise appearance at the end of the ceremony to present the final award for album of the year. The music icon has been out of the spotlight after she revealed in December 2022 that she has Stiff-Person Syndrome — a progressive neurological disorder that affects the brain and the spinal cord.

Dion received a huge standing ovation from the Grammys audience, with Taylor Swift singing along to “The Power of Love” as it played while Dion walked on stage. She presented the album of the year award to Swift for “Midnights,” which is Swift’s fourth win in the category.

“Thank you, all! I love you right back,” Dion said before presenting the award. “You look beautiful. When I say I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart. Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the Grammy Awards must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world.”

With Dion out of the spotlight, her sister, Claudette Dion, has regularly kept her fans updated on her condition. Last December, Claudette disclosed that the disorder affected Celine’s ability to walk and sing, thus halting all of Celine’s live performances and scheduled tours.

“She works hard, but she doesn’t have control over her muscles,” Claudette said in an interview with French magazine 7 Jours. “What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined. She’s always worked hard.”

Celine Dion was seen in public in November 2023 when she attended Katy Perry’s Las Vegas residency at the Resorts World Theatre. Celine had also been scheduled to play there but had to call off her appearances due to the disorder. She was also photographed around the same time at an NHL hockey game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Las Vegas Golden Knights at the city’s T-Mobile Arena. 

Just last week, Amazon MGM announced it had acquired a new documentary about Dion titled “I Am: Celine Dion.” The documentary spans about a year and chronicles Dion’s battle with Stiff Person Syndrome. Dion says she hopes the documentary will “raise awareness of this little-known condition.”

“This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” she said in a statement about the documentary’s release.. “As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life to help others who share this diagnosis.”

 “I Am: Celine Dion” will be available to stream on Prime Video at a yet-to-be-determined date.