Celine Dion tells Hoda Kotb she 'almost died' amid 'scary' struggle with stiff person syndrome
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Celine Dion endured a "scary time" and revealed that she "almost died" while contending with her debilitating stiff person syndrome
The Grammy-winning songstress shared the details about her battle in an interview with ‘Today’ host Hoda Kotbe.
During the May 23rd episode of ‘Hoda and Jenna’, the 59-year-old host discussed the interview, remarking, “Celine Dion at some point, she is now much better, but at some point, she almost died, which is something that she says.”
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Teasing their interview, Kotbe shared, “It was a scary time.” The interview is scheduled to air on June 11, per Page Six.
Hoda Kotb reflects on interviewing Celine Dion
On Thursday, Kotb shared that she interviewed Dion about her battle with stiff person syndrome - a rare autoimmune neurological disorder causing muscle stiffness.
Kotb shared, “She was diagnosed with a terrible disease and at one point she wondered if she was going to make it, whether she was going to live through it.”
The NBC host shared that after struggling with her disorder, Dion kept herself away from performing live.
Kotb shared that Dion spoke to her about her struggle along with the “possibility of a comeback.”
She reflected on the ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer’s struggle, sharing “A lot of people are wondering what happened. What was wrong,”
She continued, “We’ve missed her and it was a very emotional interview,” before adding, “We’ll see where she is on her journey of coming back, but I know people are cheering her on.”
Kotb further disclosed that during the interview, the singer sang to her, and despite her reluctance to share how her vocals sound nowadays, she sounded "incredible."
Celine Dion's documentary set for release
The Oscar-winning vocalist is also sharing her struggles with SPS in the new documentary, 'I Am: Celine Dion.'
In the video teaser, Dion can be observed breaking down over her struggles. Nevertheless, the resilient singer shared, “I’m working hard every day, but I have to admit, it’s been a struggle,” before adding, “I miss it so much.”
The ‘All By Myself’ singer explains, “The people, I miss them.”
Nevertheless, she hasn't lost hope and is determined to make a comeback. She declared, “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. And I won’t stop. I won’t stop.”
Celine Dion shared a heartfelt message on SPS Day
Since being diagnosed with SPS, the 'I'm Alive' singer has become a vocal advocate for raising awareness about the syndrome.
Taking to her Instagram on March 15 on the occasion of SPS Awareness Day, Dion shared, “Today the world recognizes International SPS Awareness Day. As many of you know, in the fall of 2022, I was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)," per People.
She continued, “Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible.”
She also shared her gratitude for the support of her loved ones, writing, “I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!"
“I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!” she concluded.
