Celine Dion suffers a spasm in documentary, casting spotlight on stiff person syndrome

Singer Celine Dion shared a vulnerable moment of her experience with stiff-person syndrome in a raw scene in the new documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.”

World-renowned singer Celine Dion shared a vulnerable moment of her experience with stiff-person syndrome in a raw scene in the new documentary “I Am: Celine Dion.”

The film, released Tuesday on Prime Video, shows Dion, 56, suffering a severe spasm during a physical therapy session. Lying on a table on her side, Dion freezes and starts to cry as she shakes slightly and whimpers in pain. 

Dion revealed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with the rare neurological disease, which can cause painful spasms and difficulty walking. In the documentary, viewers see her going through one of those hard moments. 

The footage shows a physical therapist talking Dion through the spasm and asking her to squeeze his hand if she is in pain. He gives her a nasal spray after having noted that she is breathing abnormally. He and others in the room discuss whether to call 911 if another spasm were to start, but Dion weakly reassures them, saying, “I’m OK.”

It was a candid moment for Dion — one she insisted on keeping in the film. When Dion was shown a rough cut six months after the spasm, she told director Irene Taylor, “Don’t cut down that scene,” Taylor told the Los Angeles Times.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/celine-dion-spasm-documentary-stiff-person-syndrome-rcna159068

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