Celine Dion’s heart will go on, but her Courage World Tour could not. On May 26, Celine, 55, announced that, with a sense of tremendous disappointment, she had to cancel the remaining 2023 and upcoming 2024 dates due to her ongoing battles with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). Celine’s decision was made with her fans in mind. “The goal is for her to tour again for sure, but once she is better,” reports PEOPLE, whose insider says that right now, “[Celine’s] focusing on her health. She couldn’t keep postponing shows – it wasn’t fair to the fans.”
Celine pulled the plug on the tour after realizing that she wasn’t at a place where she could give her very best. “I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again,” she said in the statement of her tour’s cancellation. “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. 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!”
The “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” singer completed the first 52 dates on the Courage World Tour before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. In early 2021, she worked on her first movie – Love Again – but came face-to-face with a medical diagnosis that changed her life. In 2020, she went public with the fact that she has a rare, incurable condition that, despite its name, is a very real health issue. SPS is “a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and can worsen over time,” according to the John Hopkins website. “However, some people experience other symptoms such as an unsteady gait, double vision, or slurred speech.”
SPS “most often causes painful muscle contractions and spasms that often begin in the legs and back,” continues the medical website. “Spasms can also affect the abdomen, and less often the upper trunk, arms, neck, and face. The spasms can occur in episodes, especially when a person with SPS is surprised or startled or moves suddenly. Cold temperatures and emotional stress can also set off a muscle spasm. In some people, the spasms are brought on by certain exercises or touch.”
Chronic pain, shortness of breath, unsteadiness, stiff/rigid posture, and difficulty walking are just some of the symptoms. One can also develop an exaggerated curve of the lower back, anxiety, and/or agoraphobia.