Lady Gaga gushed over Celine Dion ahead of their reported duet at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris on Friday.
Back in 2018 Celine, 56, was spotted in the audience of Gaga’s Las Vegas residency before the singer, 38, branded her ‘amazing’.
According to The Mirror, she praised Celine saying: ‘I swear to you, the number of women that I can count on one hand that are supportive in this industry,’
‘It’s like, I would lose fingers, okay? You are amazing’.
The pair are reportedly set to perform Édith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose at the ceremony, marking Celine’s first show since being diagnosed with incurable stiff-person syndrome over two years ago.
Lady Gaga, 38, (R) gushed over Celine Dion, 56, (L) ahead of their reported duet at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris on Friday (pictured in 2010)
Back in 2018 Celine was spotted in the audience of Gaga’s Las Vegas residency before the singer branded her ‘amazing’ (Celine pictured in Paris on Thursday)
It comes after Lady Gaga was spotted was she headed out for dinner in the City of Lights on Thursday.
The songstress was all smiles as she departed Laperouse restaurant in the French capital and stopped to sign autographs for waiting fans.
Opting for a smart double breasted blazer and straight leg jeans, Lady Gaga added a pair of her signature towering heels.
She pulled her platinum blonde hair back into a sleek bun and accessorised with some oval sunglasses.
French journalist Thierry Moreau posted on Wednesday that Gaga and Celine have rehearsed the song, with Celine to don a pink-and-black feathered cape by Dior.
The Canadian singer sent fans into a frenzy this week when she showed up in the French capital, as she was seen being mobbed by fans amid rumors she would ring in the opening ceremony.
She looked in great spirits as she larked around with fans in Paris on Thursday ahead of performing on Friday night.
Celine appeared full of energy as she played air guitar and waved at the crowds while leaving her hotel and blew kisses at fans before ducking into her car.
Gaga praised Celine saying: ‘I swear to you, the number of women that I can count on one hand that are supportive in this industry,’ (pictured 2017)
The pair will reportedly perform Édith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose marking Celine’s first show since being diagnosed with incurable stiff-person syndrome over two years ago (Celine in 2019)
It comes after Lady Gaga was spotted was she headed out for dinner in the City of Lights on Thursday
The singer was all smiles as she departed Laperouse restaurant in the French capital, wearing a smart double breasted blazer and straight leg jeans
Gaga was mobbed by fans and happily stopped to sign autographs
Meanwhile Celine looked in high spirits as she played air guitar and larked around with fans
The French singer, 56, appeared full of energy as she played air guitar and waved at the crowds while leaving her hotel in the City of Lights
The star wore a navy Dior jumper and trousers that she paired with white trainers and sunglasses.
The singer was greeted by a rapturous welcome in Paris when she arrived earlier this week, beaming as she posed for selfies with fans outside her hotel.
A source told DailyMail.com that not only will the icon return to the stage at the Olympics, but she will also perform in French to honor the Olympic hosts and her own French-Canadian roots.
In 2022, Celine disclosed that she had been diagnosed with the neurological disorder stiff-person syndrome which causes muscles to stiffen and spasm.
According to reports on her Olympics performance deal, Celine will bring a team of healthcare professionals with her to help handle her comeback.
After her recent promise to return to performing, there has been rumours circulating online that she could sing at the opening ceremony. Céline has not commented.
Céline’s heartbreaking documentary, I Am: Céline Dion has been lauded by critics after it was released last month.
The harrowing film – captured over more than a year of filming – follows the star as she battles to continue her normal life and career amid her diagnosis – and has landed a perfect 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Celine announced in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with the syndrome – an extremely rare disorder that makes the muscles in the torso and limbs alternate between spasming and being rigid.
The Canadian icon’s performance at the Olympics will be her first since she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) in 2022, seen during an episode that was filmed for an upcoming Amazon show about her diagnosis
Celine looked in great spirits as she larked around with fans
She wore a navy Dior jumper and trousers that she paired with white trainers and sunglasses
Time critic Rich Juzwiak said the film is the ‘opposite of a vanity project’ and praised Celine for her openness – including recording a difficult moment where she struggles to sing Foreigner’s I Want To Know What Love Is due to the condition causing rigidness in the chest.
The review reads: ‘In a way, I Am: Celine Dion is a meditation on aging and what happens to stars whose abilities diminish with time, rare diagnosis or not. As tragic and debilitating as it is, Celine’s condition gives her a reason to externalize a lot of feelings that many stars never want to acknowledge.
‘Nobody wants to talk about what it means to be past their prime, but SPS has forced Dion to contemplate just that.’
New York Times’ Chris Azzopardi praised Celine for allowing ‘raw footage’ to make it into the film, as well as handling her condition with humor.
One such scene sees Celine suffering a 10-minute spasm as she wails in distress and is administered pain medication.
‘Dion’s spontaneously expressive personality already shines through her pain in raw footage that feels more connected to her healing journey, like when her physical therapist nags her about a cream she hasn’t been applying to her feet. “Give me a break,” she says with playful exasperation.
‘These awkward segments weaken the powerful emotional atmosphere of witnessing Dion transcend her circumstances. Especially when she lets the cameras stick around, showing some of the most grim health-related scenes I have ever seen of a superstar onscreen.’
A synopsis for the film reads: ‘From visiting her couture touring wardrobe and personal effects to spending time in the recording studio, the documentary captures a global megastar’s never-before-seen private life.
She blew kisses at fans before ducking into her car and heading off to an event
Fans clamoured to get a picture with the star as she waved for the crowds
All eyes were on Celine as she strutted her stuff outside the hotel
‘An emotional, energetic, and poetic love letter to music, I Am: Celine Dion captures more than a year of filming as the legendary singer navigates her journey toward living an open and authentic life amidst illness.’Amazon MGM landed the worldwide rights to the documentary with the film streaming on Prime Video.
Irene Taylor directed the documentary made by Sony Music Vision, Sony Music Entertainment Canada and Vermilion Films.
‘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,’ she said in an emotional video first announcing her condition.
Although she initially postponed her Courage World Tour until the spring of 2024, the Golden Globe winner decided to cancel it in May.
‘Even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again,’ she told her loyal fans.
The determined artist appears to have kept her promise she made to keep working on her health. ‘I want you all to know, I’m not giving up … and I can’t wait to see you again!’ she said at the time.
Celine’s sister recently revealed the singer had lost control of her muscles due to her condition.
‘Celine is a fighter,’ an insider told US Weekly. ‘She doesn’t have as much control over her muscles as she did before, but she’s working with doctors and physical therapists to get better.’
She revealed her diagnosis in 2022 and has previously said it that can cause spasms so strong that can break ribs and feel like strangulation of the throat (pictured 2019)
The source claimed, ‘Celine has been taking time to focus on her health but plans to take the stage again once she is given the go-ahead by her medical team.’
A second person in the know backed up the comments.
‘She’s staying positive and upbeat and doing her physical therapy every day,’ the insider said.
‘Getting back on stage in some form is her constant dream, even if she can no longer sing; she just wants to see those shining faces.’
Stiff-person syndrome is a ‘rare autoimmune neurological disorder that most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and can worsen over time,’ according to John Hopkins Medicine.
