'Like somebody is strangling you': Céline Dion describes effects of rare condition

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Singing icon Céline Dion is sharing more details about her struggles with a rare neurological condition that has put her career on hold.

Dion spoke with TODAY's Hota Kotb for an exclusive interview, her first broadcast interview since she revealed in 2022 that she was suffering from stiff person syndrome.

It's like somebody is strangling you," Dion told Kotb in a portion of the interview that aired Friday. "It's like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx this way."

She first started to notice symptoms while on tour in 2008. The symptoms progressed from her throat to spasms and stiffness in her hands and feet, and the cramping was so severe it led to broken ribs.

"My feet — it's cramping, but it's like in a position of you cannot unlock them," Dion said.

Dion headlined an ongoing residency at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip for years. She was set to open a new residency at Resorts World Las Vegas in 2021 but canceled, citing her health. She then canceled a world tour in 2022 before revealing her diagnosis.

The full interview with Kotb will air on Tuesday, June 11.

A documentary, "I Am: Céline Dion," will also be released on Amazon's Prime Video on June 25.