Celine Dion says trying to sing with stiff person syndrome is 'like somebody's strangling you'

The legendary singer demonstrates what her experience has been like on the "Today" show.

Celine Dion continues to open up about her stiff person syndrome diagnosis that forced her to cancel her 2023 Courage world tour dates. This time, the legendary performer describes what it's like for her to try to sing while suffering through this debilitating neurological condition.

"It's like somebody's strangling you," Dion told Hoda Kotb during an interview for NBC News. A brief clip was released Friday morning on the Today show, but the full conversation will air June 11 on NBC.

"It's like somebody's pushing your larynx, pharynx this way," Dion continued. The 56-year-old Canadian pop sensation behind "My Heart Will Go On," "The Power of Love," and "All By Myself" demonstrated by placing her fingers on her throat and speaking in a strained, high-pitched voice. "It’s like you’re talking like that," she said, "and you cannot go higher or lower."

Related: Céline Dion's heart goes on and on as she battles illness in the trailer for her new documentary

The condition also impacts Dion's movements, like when she points her feet or attempts to cook. She explained how stiff person syndrome will incite spasms that force her limbs to lock up. "My fingers, my hands will get into a position... It's cramping, but it's in a position where you cannot unlock them," Dion said, before revealing she also had broken ribs at one point as a result of a more intense spasm.

Dion first announced her diagnosis in December 2022, saying she's been dealing with the condition "for a long time." She noted at the time, "It's been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything I've been going through."

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The musical icon has since expressed her desire to return to the stage, and an upcoming documentary, I Am: Céline Dion from Oscar-nominated director Irene Taylor, chronicles that journey. "My voice is the conductor of my life," she said in the film's trailer. "When your voice brings you joy, you're the best of yourself. I need my instrument."

Related: Céline Dion discusses living with stiff person syndrome: 'I want to be the best I can be'

"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," Dion had said during a previous interview with Vogue France. "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."

"I haven't beat the disease, as it's still within me and always will be," she added. "I hope that we'll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it. So that's me, now with stiff person syndrome."

Watch the Today show clip of the NBC News interview above.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.