Her heart will go on…but what about the rest of her? Is Celine Dion
simply working too hard or is there something else affecting her health?
Celine Dion's first Las Vegas residency, titled "A New Day," went on from 2003 to 2007,
with a total of 714 shows pulling in revenue of over $385 million for over two million tickets,
according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her second Las Vegas residency,
titled "Celine," went on from 2011 to 2019. This second residency was more spaced out,
with 427 shows. This allowed Dion to tour internationally during the pockets of time when
she wasn't performing in Vegas. This back-to-back scheduling resulted in Dion canceling a few shows
in 2016, as she was reportedly exhausted and losing her voice due to a throat infection.
A member of her team shared in 2016:
"She just reached the point of total exhaustion. Celine toured this summer in Europe and Canada
and released a French-language album. [...] You can't sing if you can't talk, and you can't get
back to normal health if you're shuttling between home and work when you should be resting in bed."
Celine Dion's initial reporting of her sickness came with the news of her postponing her Las
Vegas shows. As her husband René Angélil's health rapidly declined, it was also reported that Dion
herself was recovering from inflammation of her throat muscles, which may occur when over-exerting
vocal cords. These health concerns, along with the concerns of her husband, led her to taking a few
shows off, as well as canceling her tour in Asia so she could focus on their well-being at home.
After the death of Angélil, her personal health concerns
appeared to grow more prominent. Further shows were either postponed or canceled
due to her ongoing throat issues. Her team issued a press release, stating,
"We are sorry to report that Celine is experiencing a throat virus,
and must postpone four performances of her Courage World Tour."
There would be more cancellations to follow.
After the pandemic forced Celine Dion and her team to halt productions of her shows,
Dion was more than happy to announce her new Las Vegas residency at Resorts
World in November 2021. Speaking excitedly to multiple press outlets,
including Entertainment Tonight, it was clear that Dion was eager to return back to the stage.
"It's something that I'm looking to present and to perform, and to see the fans again."
However, shortly after this announcement, she shared that her health wasn't in
the right state for her to move forward with the new production,
as she suffered from "severe and persistent muscle spasms." She added that she was just
as heartbroken by the news as many of her fans were bound to be, saying:
"Now, I have to focus on getting better ... I want to get through this as soon as I can."
Her sister, Claudette Dion, has also given some insight into Celine's struggles.
Speaking with a French television outlet, Claudette was asked if
Celine's latest health issues revolved around her voice, to which she replied:
"I don't believe so, no ... she shared with me that the stage had a steep incline
when she was performing, that would cause problems to her muscles, legs, and feet."
But Claudette has also assured outlets that things weren't as bad as they seem.
Celine Dion's North American leg of her world tour, titled "Courage," was originally postponed
and then rescheduled due to the global pandemic. However, in January 2022, Dion announced that she
yet again had to make the difficult decision of canceling her shows due to her ongoing health
concerns. A press release on her official website shared the news of the cancelation, adding:
"Her recovery is taking longer than she hoped. Her medical team
continues to evaluate and treat the condition."
At the time, it seemed like there was still a chance that the European leg of
her "Courage" world tour would proceed as planned,
but unfortunately that hope was short-lived. She shared the news that she'd be canceling
her Europe dates as well through her YouTube channel, in a heartfelt video.
"But I'm still experiencing some spasms and it's taking a lot longer for me to recover."
She closed the video with an apology to her fans:
"I wanted you to know that I'm sorry for this news ... All I can say is that
I'm doing my very best to get back to the level that I need to be so
that I can give 100% at my shows, 'cause that's what you deserve."
Amidst Celine Dion's ongoing battle with muscle spasms and throat concerns, the media has taken
notice of Dion's dramatic weight loss. Fans also caught on to her recent physical appearance,
which raised some cause for concern. However, Dion has been vocal about that there's nothing
to be worried about on that front. In 2019, she opened up about her weight to ABC News:
"It's true that I'm a little thinner. Everything's fine, nothing's wrong."
This hasn't been the first time her weight has
come under scrutiny. Speaking with The Guardian in 2007, she said,
"I'm not anorexic. It pisses people off that I am thin and I don't make
any effort ... I have been thin all my life. Nobody in my family is overweight."
Throughout the years of Celine Dion's ongoing health concerns, she's remained honest and
transparent with her fans. With each postponement, cancellation, and unforeseeable circumstance,
Dion and her social media team have worked hard to make sure there's honesty and transparency with
what's going on with the singer. She additionally recognizes her strong fan base from her home
country, with her latest cancellation video posted on her social media twice, once in English and
once in French. In both versions of the video, her emotional vulnerability is visible and touching.
On the business end, per "Good Morning America," her Las Vegas
residency venue has promised that previous ticket holders would be
the first to be accommodated once her new show dates are announced.
Shortly after losing her husband and in the midst of attending to her own health concerns,
Celine Dion found strength to perform at the Billboard Music Awards in 2016. Performing a
cover of Queen's "The Show Must Go On," Dion displayed great courage and strength as she
returned to the stage for the first time. Later that year, she'd share with Page Six,
"I have to stand tall and strong because this is my way of living:
Stand tall, be positive, pick your battles, do the best you can and to live for today,
not for tomorrow ... and know nothing is perfect, not everything you want will happen."
She would later on go on to release a single called "Courage," which
inspired her worldwide tour. She shared with iHeartRadio:
"Everybody's losing people and everybody's going through sickness ... and things they
can't even figure out, and it can be overwhelming. You have to find
within yourself courage among your family, your friends and you first, I believe."