The Quebec star has not been on stage since a concert in Newark (United States) in March 2020. His Courage World Tour was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 2021, she has been suffering from manifestations of a rare neurological pathology. And she "continues her treatment," her entourage said in a statement.

"I go to great lengths to regain my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you're 100 percent," the 55-year-old singer said.

"Even if it breaks my heart, it's better that we cancel everything now, until I'm really ready to get back on stage," she added.

The next concert scheduled for France was in Paris (La Défense Arena) on September 1, the first of a series of six shows in the French capital.

She had to travel across Europe, starting in Amsterdam at the end of August and ending in London, via Helsinki, Budapest or Dublin.

Celine Dion suffers from stiff person syndrome (RPD), a condition whose exact cause is unknown but likely autoimmune in origin.

Affecting about one in a million people, this syndrome causes sharp pain and difficulty moving, preventing physically demanding activities.

Refunded tickets

The singer felt that it was "not fair to continue to postpone the shows", not knowing when she would be able to reconnect with her very large audience.

"The medical team that accompanies Celine follows the evolution of the disease and its treatment," said his entourage.

"Tickets purchased for the 42 cancelled dates will be refunded," the tour organizers added.

Canadian singer Celine Dion in concert at the AccorHotels Arena, July 4, 2017 in Paris © Martin BUREAU / AFP/Archives

The Canadian is one of the most popular artists in the world, famous among others for "My Heart Will Go On", a 1997 song for the soundtrack of the film "Titanic".

Little information has filtered out about his daily life and his exact state of health, leaving room for speculation.

In April, Celine Dion released an album, the soundtrack to the film "Love Again", containing five previously unreleased tracks and older hits.

Treating your disease involves remedying the symptoms but the path to recovery is not known.

A rheumatologist from the University Hospital of Montpellier (south of the France), Christian Jorgensen, explained on May 18 to the daily Midi libre.

"Celine Dion is developing an antibody that targets an enzyme and completely disrupts her muscles. There is no treatment today for that," he told the newspaper.

"On a platform like ours, we can try to find one. This requires sequencing the antibody and building a specific CAR-T, and testing it," he added.

CAR-T therapy involves taking white blood cells from a patient that are specialized in recognizing and destroying pathogenic cells (T cells), genetically modifying them and reinjecting them.

"It's time to send tons of love to @celinedion," wrote on Twitter a fan club, Celine Dion Addicts.

© 2023 AFP