Celine Dion defies debilitating illness to greet crowd of fans in Paris

Celine Dion exiting through the roof of her car leaving her hotel in Paris followed by her fans — Celine Dion was greeted by hundreds of fans outside her hotel in Paris (Picture: Aissaoui Nacer/Backgrid)

Celine Dion created a real crowd movement in emotional scenes as she proudly defied her Stiff Person Syndrome in Paris.

The music legend was dressed in head-to-toe Dior as she waved to adoring fans through the roof of her car while exiting her hotel in the capital.

Celine, 56, embraced the French Girl style in her designer ensemble, with the response to her public outing almost resembling a Princess Diana-esque reaction as her supporters cheered and applauded.

Moving through the crowd, Celine blew kisses and wore a beaming smile as she soaked up the incredible moment, having rarely been seen in recent years following her debilitating diagnosis.

A video shared on social media captured the Canadian singer’s warm reception, with commenters declaring her a ‘queen’ and praising the crowd for being ‘gentle’ with her.

The My Heart Will Go On singer went public with her health issues at the end of 2022 when she was forced to cancel a string of shows to recover.

She then started tracking her journey with the disease by filming a documentary titled I Am: Celine Dion, in which it is explained that she almost died due to the rare autoimmune neurological disorder that most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms.

Celine’s return to the spotlight this month has also ignited rumours that she’s set to get back on stage by performing at the Olympics opening ceremony.

It’s said that Lady GaGa will also perform on Friday, as the Bad Romance hitmaker has been staying at the same hotel as Celine – the Royal Monceau Hotel near the Champs-Élysées.

According to a French journalist named Thierry Moreau, who fuelled speculation on X, the pair rehearsed a duet of Édith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose.

Meanwhile, French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra only spurred on the rumours by remarking on French channel TF1’s Bonjour breakfast show that Celine’s presence in Paris was ‘not by chance’.

Should she perform, the spectacle would mark Celine’s first performance since she revealed her health woes.

The opening ceremony’s line-up is being kept strictly under wraps for now, as only French singer Aya Nakamura has been confirmed.

But, the powerhouse vocalist took to Instagram herself this week to express her love for the city, writing to her millions of followers: ‘Every time I return to Paris, I remember there’s so much beauty and joy still to experience in the world.

‘I love Paris, and I’m so happy to be back! Thank you to our wonderful friends at The Louvre!’

Celine Dion greets a large crowd of fans as she exits her hotel for an event in Paris — Celine’s presence in Paris has sparked rumours she’s performing at the Olympics opening ceremony (Picture: Backgrid)

Celine Dion performs on the opening night of her world tour in 2019 — Celine hasn’t performed since revealing her Stiff Person Syndrome in 2022 (Picture: Getty)

Celine has teased a comeback already this year, telling Vogue France in April: ‘The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself.

‘I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!’

Paris certainly hasn’t been short of celebs in the run-up to the Olympics, with the likes of Zendaya, Anna Wintour, Sir Mick Jagger, and Serena Williams photographed at a Prelude to the 2024 Olympics.

Sporting their expensive finery on Thursday night (July 25), the A-listers attended an event at Fondation Louis Vuitton.

Wearing LV, of course, award-winning actress Zendaya, 27, turned heads in a floor-length black gown as she enjoyed a laugh with Spike Lee.