Sports fans across the globe are looking forward to the 2024 Summer Olympics beginning this week in Paris.
But now? As a result of a few rumors circulating around the Internet, music fans are looking forward to the event, as well.
Turns out, there is a chance that Celine Dion will be performing at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. She has been spotted in the city of lights in the days leading up to the big event and she’s look quite well!
Not only would that be magical, it also would be a beautiful miracle. And apparently, she won’t be on that stage alone!
Celine Dion: Could She Perform at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony?
As you very sadly have likely heard by now, Celine Dion has been forced to take a lengthy hiatus from performing due to stiff-person syndrome, a rare and incurable neurological disease that can cause debilitating muscle spasms.
She has vowed to return to the stage at some point, however. She is a fighter and will fight the odds!
Well, The Sun reported in late June that the icon has been offered a spot to perform during the Olympic Opening Ceremony on July 26.
As cited above, they will be held in Paris this year; Dion speaks fluent French, having been born in Quebec.
Then there is the fact that, for the week leading up to the ceremony on July 26th, Celine was seen taking in the sites and meeting with fans in the streets of Paris.
But hold on, because it’s about to get even more interesting! The day before the opening ceremony, it was reported that Celine will be joined on stage by none other than Lady Gaga!
The gorgeous pair will reportedly perform “La Vie en rose” together, a signature song for both of them. This would be the first time the pair have dueted EVER! And what a way to do it!
Celine’s Friends Have Teased Her Triumphant Return
Hoda Kotb recently interviewed Dion for NBC and then later appeared on Watch What Happens Live.
She told Andy Cohen during this appearance that the artist almost spilled on her upcoming performing plans, detailing an exchange she overheard as follows:
“They were shooting us doing that walk-and-talk and her manager was off-camera. And I go, ‘So what’s going on, when are you performing again?’ And she goes, ‘Can I tell her?’ And her manager goes, ‘NO!’”
Kotb interpreted this to mean that SOMEthing is in the works.
For his part, Cohen doubts any concert will take place on such a worldwide stage.
“I think it’s not gonna be [the Olympics],” he said this month while chatting with Kotb. “And here’s why: I think it would be amazing, but my understanding is that this is something that she can’t control.”
To be clear, Cohen has no inside knowledge in this case.
Celine May Still Need To Take It Easy
But his point that Dion may prefer a more flexible setting to make her wildly-anticipated return is a reasonable one.
Back when Dion announced her heart-breaking diagnosis, she told fans:
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through…
“Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological condition called stiff-person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people.
“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know that this is what has been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having.”
Dion is a five-time Grammy Award winner and one of the most successful solo artists of all-time; she has sold over 200 million albums throughout her career.
According to the Stiff Person Syndrome Foundation, the condition affects the central nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord.
“Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life,” Dion continued in her video in 2022, although she did leave the door open to perform again… at some point.
“All I know is singing,” she said back then. “It’s what I’ve done all my life. And it’s what I love to do the most.”
Originally published at https://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2024/07/celine-dion-paris-performance-fans-pray-for-an-olympic-comeback/