In emotional video, Celine Dion shares diagnosis of rare, incurable 'stiff person syndrome'
'As you know, I have always been an open book.'
Celine Dion spoke directly to her fans on social media.
Celine Dion has shared the devastating news that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome.
In an emotional video to her fans, the 54-year-old French-Canadian singer apologized for taking so long to reach out and explained that her health struggles have been difficult to talk about.
"As you know, I have always been an open book, and I wasn't ready to say anything before. But I'm ready now."
While she has been dealing with health problems for a long time, doctors have only recently figured out why, and the diagnosis means she has to cancel her upcoming shows and reschedule her European tour.
"I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people," Dion said. "While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what's been causing all of the spasms that I've been having. Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."
Dion expresses hope, but stiff person syndrome is a tough diagnosis, especially for a professional singer. The condition is marked by stiffening muscles in the trunk and abdomen, progressively moving to the legs and other extremities. Other symptoms include painful muscle spasms that can occur randomly or be triggered by noise, emotional stress or physical touch. These spasms can last minutes or hours and can be severe enough to dislocate limbs or break bones.
The severity of symptoms and speed of decline vary from person to person. Treatments and therapies can help manage symptoms, but much about the disorder remains a mystery. There is no known cause and no cure at this time.
The pain of processing this news is apparent in Dion's video message to her fans. "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."
"I miss you so much," she added. "I miss seeing all of you. Being on the stage, performing for you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now. For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment. And I have hope that I am on the road to recovery."
Celine Dion is consistently ranked as one of the top female vocalists of all time and has performed live in front of millions in countless sold-out shows. She is known not only for her unique vocal quality and wide range, but for her passion and dedication to her craft, as well as to her fans.
No one wants to get a diagnosis like this, but for someone who loves performing above all else, it's particularly heartbreaking. Thankfully, Dion is surrounded by love and support from family, friends and fans who will lift her up and help her through whatever the future brings. Wishing her all the best as she faces this daunting challenge.
Original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter becomes a superhero for the LGBTQ+ community
The actress recently defended the character as a gay icon.
Once a superhero, always a superhero.
For many, Lynda Carter is the definitive live action Wonder Woman. The actress first brought the comic book heroine to life in the '70s, and even makes an iconic cameo appearance in the modern-day films starring Gal Gadot. She’s got Wonder Woman action figures made in her likeness, for crying out loud.
All that to say, I think we can feel confident in dubbing Carter a Wonder Woman expert. She’s certainly poured a lot of heart and passion into the role over the years, and fans love her for it.
To kick off Pride Month for 2022, Carter tweeted a variant Wonder Woman comic book cover created by artist Paulina Ganucheau, which was released the previous year. The cover depicts the Amazon warrior smiling while brandishing her signature golden Lasso of Truth in front of a vibrant rainbow backdrop.
The sweet moment was cut rather short after someone commented, in all caps no less, that “Wonder Woman IS NOT A SUPER HERO FOR GAYS.”
In true Wonder Woman fashion, Carter was quick with a defensive comeback.
Carter replied, “You’re right. She’s a superhero for bisexuals!”
She attached a 2016 Polygon article where Greg Rucka, a major writer for the contemporary Wonder Woman comics, confirmed that Diana is, without a doubt, canonically queer. He added that considering the entire island of Themyscira where Diana lives was filled with only other Amazons for centuries upon centuries, “it makes no logical sense otherwise.”
Objectively, even the original conception of Wonder Woman had LGBTQ+ roots. When William Moulton Marston created her in 1941, she was inspired by both his wife Elizabeth and their polyamorous partner Olivia Byrne. Their story was depicted in the 2017 film “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” starring Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote.
Carter later posted: 'I didn't write Wonder Woman, but if you want to argue that she is somehow not a queer or trans icon, then you're not paying attention.”
She also shared the the importance of keeping the character a queer icon so that others can be empowered to express themselves authentically. “Every time someone comes up to me and says that WW helped them while they were closeted, it reminds me how special the role is,” she wrote.
She then posted a photo from her Wonder Woman TV show days along with the caption: “Love seeing all the love from LGBTQ+ fans today! Now here’s one I’d like to call the ‘ready to fight your homophobic relatives’ pose. Just kidding. (Or am I)?”
This was followed by encouraging others to support LGBTQ organizations such as Trans Lifeline, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and PFLAG, which is geared specifically toward parents and families.
You know what they say … not all heroes wear capes. But they do all fight for humanity in their own way. Carter might have retired her magical tiara, but she’s still a queen.