Céline Dion Says She ‘Almost Died,’ Feels Like Someone Is ‘Strangling My Throat’ In Battle With Disease Stiff-Person Syndrome

Céline Dion opens up about her personal struggle with the debilitating neurological condition known as stiff-person syndrome.

The five-time Grammy winner, 56 , courageously shares the profound impact this rare and incurable disease has had on her voice and her daily life.

Dion first revealed her diagnosis in 2022 and explained that the “stiffness” and muscle spasms associated with the condition have made it increasingly hard for her to perform and even carry out basic tasks. In a preview clip that aired on the Today show on June 7, the singer vividly described the sensation, likening it to someone “strangling” her throat and making it nearly impossible to adjust her voice.

“It’s like talking like that, and you cannot go high or lower,” Dion said. She further explained that the stiffness can manifest in various parts of her body, such as her abdomen, spine and even her fingers, and causes them to “get in position” and become locked in place.

The severity of Dion’s condition has been so extreme that she has even suffered from broken ribs due to violent muscle spasms. “I have broken ribs at one point because sometimes when it’s very severe, it can break,” she revealed.

According to the Stiff Person Syndrome Foundation, this rare autoimmune disorder can indeed leave patients “disabled, wheelchair-bound or bed-ridden, unable to work and care for themselves.” The foundation also notes that the condition can cause “hyper-rigidity, debilitating pain, chronic anxiety,” and muscle spasms “so violent they can dislocate joints and even break bones.”

In her interview with NBC News’ Hoda Kotb, Dion candidly shared that at one point, her condition had become so dire that she “almost died.”

Despite the immense challenges she has faced, Dion remains steadfast in her determination to overcome this illness. “All I know is singing,” she said. “It’s what I’ve done all my life. And it’s what I love to do the most.”

Dion’s full interview with Hoda Kotb is set to air on June 11 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.