Celine Dion gave a teary yet triumphant speech this week at the premiere of her new documentary, and made her first red carpet appearance since she was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition that has affected her livelihood and ability to perform shows.
The five-time Grammy winner became visibly emotional after she was greeted with a standing ovation at New York’s Lincoln Center on Monday to introduce “I Am: Celine Dion.” Directed by Irene Taylor and due out on Amazon Prime Video next week, the film offers an in-depth look at the pop superstar’s experience with stiff-person syndrome, or SPS.
In her remarks, Dion praised Taylor’s work and credited her neurologist, Dr. Amanda Piquet, for having “replaced my fear with hope.” She also referenced a memorable scene from the film in which she likens herself to a tree unable to bear as many apples as it once did.
“I don’t want you to wait in line anymore if I don’t have any shiny apples for you,” she explained. “A couple of days ago, I saw a message from a fan, and it said: ‘We’re not here for the apples. We’re here for the tree.’”
“I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have my fans in my life,” Dion said. “Thank you to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for being part of my journey. This movie is my love letter to each of you.”
Dion went public with her SPS diagnosis in December 2022, noting at the time that the condition had significantly affected her personal and professional life.
Since then, she’s been mostly absent from the spotlight and on social media. In February, however, she made a surprise appearance at the 2024 Grammys to present the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift.
Early reviews of “I Am: Celine Dion” have been positive. The Hollywood Reporter called it “the rare celebrity doc that fulfills its promise of intimacy.”
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In an interview with Variety, Taylor said she had “no agenda” while collaborating with Dion on the film. “Every day that I came, I just wanted to meet her where she was at that day,” she said.
“There were a couple of days, we thought we would film, and we didn’t because [Dion] just didn’t feel up for it,” Taylor told Variety. “So every day was different … Sometimes filming made her feel better.”
In interviews ahead of the release of “I Am: Celine Dion,” Dion has pledged to return to the concert stage, but has steered clear of giving a time frame in which that might be possible.
At Monday’s screening, she said she hoped to see her fans again “very, very soon.” Earlier on the red carpet, she seemingly alluded to plans for a future Las Vegas residency, but gave no further details.
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