Celine Dion confessed Monday to wanting to hide behind her fashion to find some comfort when she made a rare appearance at the 2024 Grammy Awards amid her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome.
The famous singer spoke with Vogue for their “Life in Looks” series and discussed her choice to wear a mustard yellow Valentino coat to the awards show. Dion revealed to fans that it wasn’t just a fashion statement, but also an emotional crutch she used as she made her way across the stage to present an award Feb. 4.
“I was like, ‘I can walk onstage with a coat?’ ‘Oh, yeah! You can do whatever you want in fashion. Have a good time. Wear that coat. Own that coat. Go for it,'” she told Vogue. “And it made me feel better for a moment to hold onto this coat, to hide myself a little bit from all these little things,” she said, as she referenced her current health battle.
Dion’s life and career were all dramatically adjusted when doctors diagnosed her with Stiff Person Syndrome.
The debilitating diagnosis is explained as being, “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 Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Some people experience other symptoms such as an unsteady gait, double vision or slurred speech.”
Celine Dion presents the Album Of The Year award on stage during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024. (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
Celine Dion speaks onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Céline Dion attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Dion admitted that in spite of enjoying the spotlight again, the short appearance took a toll on her.
“It was very nerve-wracking, but at the same time, a big honor,” she said, recalling the award night. “That magic. That excitement. To see the fans, to see the crowd. To see show business again.”
Singer Celine Dion performs onstage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 22, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Singer Celine Dion performs onstage during the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Celine Dion attends the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2019 2020 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 03, 2019 in Paris, France. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
“It took a lot, a lot out of me, but my son, Renee Charles, RC, came and gave me his support. And to present the award, the Album of the Year, to Taylor Swift, it’s an honor because she’s having the time of her life, and I am the one that’s presenting it to her,” Dion told Vogue.
Singer Celine Dion performs onstage during the 2015 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Rene-Charles Angelil and Celine Dion appear onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Celine Dion attends miu miu club event at Hippodrome d’Auteuil on June 29, 2019 in Paris, France. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
The star’s surprise appearance triggered an immediate standing ovation, which warmed her heart. (RELATED: Celine Dion Makes Surprise Appearance At Grammy Awards)
“But it’s always very, very touching, when you have a standing ovation,” she said.