"She almost died" — Hoda Kotb says Celine Dion's stiff-person syndrome could have been fatal

Celine Dion, the Canadian singer, was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in December 2022. Her battle with autoimmune movement disorder is the topic of the upcoming documentary I Am: Celine Dion, directed by Irene Taylor.

Ahead of the documentary's release, Hoda Kotb sat down with Dion for an interview, which will be aired on June 11 at 10 p.m. on NBC. In Thursday's episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna, Kotb recalled how the 56-year-old singer nearly lost her life because of the condition.

"Céline Dion at some point—she is now much better—but at some point she almost died. It was a scary time. It was so jarring to me and moving—I couldn't believe what they were able to capture in that documentary."

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, stiff-person syndrome is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder. The patient's symptoms include muscle stiffness and painful spasms that occur intermittently and can worsen over time.

Since the syndrome's announcement, Dion has been preoccupied with her health. She didn't step back into the limelight until February 4, 2024, at the Grammy Awards.

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Hoda Kotb reveals Celine Dion ‘almost died’ amid stiff person syndrome battle

Celine Dion is referred to as the "Queen of Power Ballads." In her over four decades-long career, she has recorded songs for 27 studio albums, which include three Christmas albums and eight greatest hits.

On Thursday, May 23, American broadcast journalist and television personality Hoda Kotb talked about the singer's Prime Video documentary and her battle with stiff-person syndrome. Kotb explained on the Today show what the pair talked about in an upcoming exclusive interview.

“She was diagnosed with a terrible disease and at one point she wondered if she was going to make it, whether she was going to live through it. A lot of people are wondering what happened."

Hotb added,

"What was wrong. We’ve missed her and it was a very emotional interview. We’ll see where she is on her journey of coming back, but I know people are cheering her on."

Celine Dion had opened up to Hoda about how the disorder has affected her voice as well as the “possibility of a comeback.” The trailer for the documentary showed a mixture of clips of the singer visiting medical professionals and nostalgic videos of her performing on stage.

"I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder. And I wasn't ready to say anything before. But I'm ready now... It's not hard to do a show now, it's hard to cancel a show. I'm working hard every day, but I have to admit—it's been a struggle. I miss it so much. The people. I miss them. If I can't run, I'll walk. If I can't walk. I'll crawl. I won't stop," Celine Dion said in the teaser.

Dion's goal of returning to music and performing has been a significant motivation for her during her struggles through her health journey.

The five-time Grammy winner explained to the viewers that she would not let her rare diagnosis define her. She also seemingly went on to describe her life through a metaphor by saying,

"I think we did create our own magic. I see my life, and I love every piece of it. When a girl loves her shoes, she always makes them fit—from six to ten—I love them. Give it to me. Here we go."

Celine Dion has three sons, René-Charles Angélil and twins Nelson and Eddy Angélil whom she shared with her late husband and manager René Angélil.

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The singer's documentary is scheduled to air on Prime Video on June 25, 2024.