Celine Dion breaks down in tears as she confronts her rare neurological disorder in TV documentary

Celine Dion has shared the harrowing details of her battle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional segment from her new Amazon Prime Video documentary.

The 56 year old songstress, renowned for her emotive anthems such as the 1997 hit 'My Heart Will Go On' from Titanic, is candid about the challenges posed by Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) in the film 'I Am: Celine Dion', directed by Irene Taylor. The condition, which is an uncommon autoimmune neurological disorder, leads to severe muscle stiffness and spasms that progressively worsen, potentially affecting vision and impairing speech and mobility.

In a poignant demonstration of SPS's impact, Dion shares: "When I try to breathe, my lungs are fine. It's what's in front of my lungs that's so rigid because of SPS."

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She attempts to sing, her voice faltering as she strains to vocalise: "It's like I know you, it's like I know what I want to do." Her voice breaks noticeably on the words 'know' and 'want to do. ', reports the Manchester Evening News.

Visibly upset, Dion expresses her distress: "And that's what happens and it's very difficult for me to hear that." Tearfully, she continues: "And to show this to you... I don't want people to hear that."

Dion, who went public with her diagnosis in December 2022, recalls how symptoms first manifested 17 years earlier. The 'All By Myself' vocalist observed that her voice would spasm and pitch upwards after her morning meal.

"It freaked me out a bit because usually when you're tired your voice goes down and you can warm it up," she said. Tears welled up once more as she spoke about the extent to which the disease affects her ability to walk and speak.

She also shared the profound impact the hiatus from music and live performances has had on her, following the cancellation of the rest of her global tour dates last May. The documentary features highlights from her career, showing some of her standout performances over four decades in the industry.

In a particularly distressing moment, the documentary provides a stark glimpse into the severity of SPS, showcasing a ten-minute episode where Dion experiences an intense spasm. Audiences witness her in apparent agony, lying on her back, immobilized and emitting distressing sounds during the spasm.

Medical personnel rush to her aid, and after the ordeal passes, she is seen recovering and singing.

Director Taylor disclosed to PA news agency that she debated whether or not to capture the episode on film but ultimately chose to proceed based on Dion's earlier instruction not "to ask permission to film something". Reflectaing on the onset of the spasm, Taylor admitted: "So in that first 30 seconds, I was not focused on filming, I was the sound person and my cinematographer was there."

"But there were several people in the room and everyone was doing what they were trained to do to help her, they'd all been given medical training on what to do if this happens. So she was in the best hands she could be in. If they needed an extra pair of hands, I would have dropped my microphone and gotten in (to) help them without a doubt. But I did decide to keep filming, knowing that we didn't have to use it."

Taylor, known for the Oscar-nominated documentary The Final Inch and Beware The Slenderman, remarked: "I would have never shown it if she didn't want me to, that's just the honest truth. It's too personal."

Taylor adds that Dion "never asked me how I was editing something", but he clarified "it's fair to say that she set the film on the course it took by wanting to give a lot of herself".