Celine Dion appeared at the sensational Grammy Awards ceremony to show that her illness was “not a death sentence,” and was unfazed by Taylor Swift’s alleged disrespect, a source told Page Six.
The 55-year-old superstar is battling stiff person syndrome, a rare and incurable neurological disorder that makes it difficult for him to walk and sing in the way he’s used to.
On Sunday night, Dion was greeted with a standing ovation when he took the stage at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles to present the final award of the night, Album of the Year.
And despite the alleged disdain from winner Swift, one music source said Dion achieved what she wanted: to show everyone she’s back.
Swift has been making headlines online for not properly acknowledging Dion’s award, but sources with knowledge of the latter say Dion ignored it.
“I don’t think Celine minded and they talked backstage afterward. But Celine was just being nice and happy to be there,” the source said. “Of course, the right thing to do would have been for Taylor to recognize her like Adele did all those years ago.”
When Dion presented Adele with the Song of the Year Grammy Award in 2017, the pair warmly embraced and Adele waved to Dion, saying, “I don’t deserve that.”
Backstage on Sunday, other celebrities paid their respects to Dion and flocked to her dressing room. Page Six sang with Steve Wonder, a source said, “They were just singing riffs,” and reportedly caught up with Oprah Winfrey.
“She wanted to show everyone that she was fine,” a source said of Dion’s surprise appearance. She said: “She has good days and bad days…Although it is a painful illness, she is not a death sentence.
“She’s clearly capable of accomplishing things and wanted to show everyone that she’s back. She looked great. The hope is that she’ll be able to perform.”
Dion was forced to cancel his world tour after announcing his illness last year and has rarely been seen in public since.
On Sunday night, she flew to Los Angeles from her home in Las Vegas with a small entourage, including her stylist Jay Roach, arriving at 7pm PST. She was escorted on stage by her son René-Charles Angélil, 23, to present Swift with her final award of the night, and by 9:30 p.m. she was home. It has been reported.
Her return to the Grammy spotlight comes as the “My Heart Will Go On” singer announced the release of her new documentary, “I Am: Céline Dion,” which will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. This was a few days after the announcement.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Eileen Taylor, the film will give fans an in-depth look at the singer’s life after she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. The premiere date has not yet been revealed.
