Celine Dion Suffers Scary 10-Minute Seizure In Horrific Footage Amid Stiff Person Syndrome Battle
By Favour Adegoke on June 25, 2024 at 3:00 PM EDT
Updated on June 27, 2024 at 9:42 PM EDT
Music legend Celine Dion endured a ten-minute seizure that left her in tears from the pain in her new documentary.
The documentary details the singer's battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), and she insisted on the clip's presence in the film.
Since opening up about her battle with SPS, Celine Dion has expressed her desire to return to the stage despite the disorder's effects on her body.
Celine Dion's Documentary Shows Her Enduring A Horrific Seizure
Dion's new documentary, "I Am: Céline Dion," gives fans an in-depth look at her struggles with stiff person syndrome (SPS).
The iconic singer was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune neurological disorder in 2022 and suffers muscle stiffness and uncontrollable spasms from it.
In the Prime Video documentary released on June 25, Dion includes an emotional clip of her suffering from a spasm attack.
The clip was shared as a preview and shows the singer going into crisis during a consultation with medical professionals.
Dion is seen gasping for breath and in expressions of pain while the camera crew quietly films. To alleviate her body's pain, the medical professionals administer a medicinal nasal spray, which helps with the effects of cluster seizures.
After about 10 minutes, the spasms slowly stop, allowing Dion to regain control of her body.
The Singer Was 'Embarrassed' About The Seizure
After receiving medical assistance and recovering control of her body, Dion was able to sit upright on the bed and cover herself with a blanket.
The "My Heart Will Go On" singer then admitted her embarrassment at not being able to control her body in front of the camera crew.
She said, "Every time something like this happens, it makes you feel so embarrassed and so, like, I don't know how to express it, it's just… you know, like to not have control of yourself.."
Due to the unpredictability of her spasms, it is difficult to know when Dion's body will experience episodes.
The Director Was Unsure About Using The Seizure Footage
According to the Daily Mail, the documentary director Irene Taylor spoke about the scene to the PA news agency, saying she was unsure about filming it, especially as the attack happened "very quickly."
However, she decided to continue filming because Dion had told her not "to ask permission to film something."
She said, "So in that first 30 seconds, I was not focused on filming, I was the sound person and my cinematographer was there."
Taylor continued, "But there were several people in the room and everyone was doing what they were trained to do to help her, they'd all been given medical training on what to do if this happens. So she was in the best hands she could be in."
Celine Dion Insisted On The Footage Being Include In The Film
When the seizure attack was over, Taylor said Dion didn't mind that they had filmed it and actually insisted that they include the scene in the documentary.
The "All By Myself" singer reportedly told her, "We can always talk about it later if I'm uncomfortable with it," and never asked to remove it.
Despite the effects of SPS on her body and unpredictable spasms, Dion still wants to resume her music career one day. She previously had to pause her tour due to the rare disorder.
The Singer Hopes To Resume Her Music Career
Dion also broke down while speaking to the camera and assured fans that the condition hasn't made her give up on her stage and music career.
She said, "I still see myself dance and sing. I always find plan b and plan c, you know. That's me. If I can't run, I'll walk. If I can't walk, I'll crawl. But I won't stop. I won't stop."
When she announced the diagnosis in an emotional Instagram post in December 2022, Dion said the disease had forced her to postpone her European tour. The singer explained that she's still learning more about the condition but now understands it's the cause of her spasms.
She said, "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. It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won't be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February."