Céline Dion announces a documentary about living with stiff person syndrome
More than a year after Céline Dion revealed her stiff person syndrome diagnosis, fans soon will be able to watch a documentary chronicling the superstar's health journey.
Amazon MGM Studios announced Tuesday that "I Am: Celine Dion," a feature-length documentary, will stream worldwide on Amazon Prime Video after acquiring worldwide rights to the film. The release date will be announced at a later date.
Irene Taylor, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, followed Dion for more than a year for the documentary, which promises to capture "a global megastar's never-before-seen private life," according to a press release.
"This intimate exploration takes viewers on a journey inside Celine's past and present as she reveals her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) and the lengths she has gone to continue performing for her beloved and loyal fans," the press release states.
The past couple of years dealing with the symptoms of SPS have been "such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it but not to let it define me," Dion said in a statement.
"As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans," the French-Canadian singer added. "During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis."
Celine Dion said she was 'not giving up' after canceling Courage World Tour shows
Dion performed 52 dates of her Courage World Tour in North America before the COVID-19 pandemic and postponed further shows in March 2020.
In January 2022, Dion had to cancel these remaining dates as she recovered from the treatment she received for "severe and persistent muscle spasms." Several months prior, she had postponed her Las Vegas residency due to these muscle spasms as well.
At the end of 2022, Dion revealed in an emotional Instagram video that she had been diagnosed SPS, which was causing her to experience these muscle spasms.
Fast forward to May 2023, and the "My Heart Will Go On" singer announced that the rest of her scheduled tour dates for 2023-24 would be canceled.
"I'm so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I'm working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you're 100%," she wrote in a statement at the time. "It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it's best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again."
"I want you all to know, I'm not giving up… and I can't wait to see you again," her message continued.
Dion has made a few public appearances in recent months, including in November, when she and her son, René-Charles Angélil, met with players from the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. In December, the musical icon's sister, Claudette Dion, said in an interview that Céline Dion doesn't have control over her muscles, though she dreams of her sister's return to the stage.
Latest on Céline Dion: Singer has lost control over her muscles, her sister says
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celine Dion's 'intimate' documentary will stream on Prime Video