With the 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony to take place on Friday, July 26, music icon Celine Dion is set to receive a huge paycheck for her one-song performance during the highly anticipated event.
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Sources close to the event revealed to TMZ that Dion will be receiving $2 million for her short performance. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is also said to be paying for the singer as well as her large family’s travel. The organization is footing the bill for boats and other expenses. “They’re paying a ton of money,” an insider shared. “Ridiculous amount.”
Despite suffering from Stiff-Person Syndrome, Celine Dion is said to be “feeling fine” as she prepares to take the stage at the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony.
Along with Celine Dion, Lady Gaga will also be performing at the 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony. Hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg will also be at the event as an Olympic torch bearer. He will be carrying the flame on its final leg around the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis.
The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony will begin on NBC at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The incredible event will also be streaming on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. An enhanced encore of the event will also air in primetime at 7:30 p.m. ET/MT/PT that same day. The opening ceremony is expected to last over three hours.
Celine Dion Previously Vowed to Turn to the Stage
During an interview with Today’s Hoda Kotb, Celine Dion opened up about how she plans to return to the stage, despite her health battle.
When asked what her disease took from her, Dion declared, “It didn’t take anything away from me. I’m going to go back onstage, even if I have to crawl. Even if I have to talk with my hands, I will. I will.”
She continued by stating, “I am Celine Dion, because today my voice will be heard for the first time, not just because I have to, or because I need to. It’s because I want to and I miss it.”
Speaking about Stiff person syndrome, Dion explained the struggles she faces daily. “It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx this way. It was like talking like that, and you cannot go high or lower. It gets into a spasm.”
She further noted that the pain can appear anywhere in the body. “It can also be in the abdominal, spine, or ribs. But it feels like if I point my feet, they will stay in a (stuck position), or if I cook — because I love to cook — my fingers, my hands will get in a position.”