Celine Dion loses control of muscles amid battle with stiff-person syndrome, sister says

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Months after cancelling all future tour dates amid her battle with a rare neurological disease, Celine Dion's sister shared an update on the singer's condition.

In an interview with French-Canadian news outlet 7 Jour, Claudette Dion said her sister “doesn’t have control over her muscles” amid her battle with stiff-person syndrome, The Guardian reports.

"What breaks my heart is that she's always been disciplined," Claudette Dion said in the interview. "She's always worked hard. Our mother always told her, 'You're going to do it well, you're going to do it properly.'"

In Jan. 2022, one month after revealing her diagnosis, Dion, 55, cancelled the North American leg of her Courage World Tour, citing “severe and persistent muscle spasms." She cancelled all remaining shows in May, saying in a statement she was “working really hard to build back (her) strength."

Dion's sister said she wants to perform again, but the future of her career is unclear.

“In our dreams and in hers, the idea is to return to the stage. In what state? I do not know," Claudette Dion said, per The Guardian.

Stiff-person syndrome is a rare, progressive neurological disorder, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Those with the disease suffer from debilitating muscle spasms that are often triggered by "noise, touch or emotional distress."

When she announced her health struggles, Dion said the spasms affect “every aspect” of her life, including her ability to walk and even sing.

“I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now,” Dion said.

In a statement to Le Journal de Montréal earlier this year, Claudette Dion said Celine is staying with family in Las Vegas, under the care of doctors who specialize in treating stiff-person syndrome.