Why Kelly Clarkson Cried On-Air At The 2024 Paris Olympics (We're Sobbing Too)
Kelly Clarkson has had a rough start to the Paris Olympics in 2024. The "American Idol" winner-turned-talk show host has already fielded criticism for her uninspiring commentary at the opening ceremony (Clarkson was co-hosting the event for NBC alongside Peyton Manning and Mike Tirico), but one particular moment had her so emotional that she could barely speak.
Celine Dion sang "Hymne à l'amour" by French legend Édith Piaf during the finale of the opening ceremony, and her performance brought Kelly Clarkson to tears.
Kelly Clarkson gives Celine Dion the gold medal for vocal athletes. 🥺❤️
📺 #ParisOlympics Opening Ceremony on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/6j8medRkMg
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2024
Clarkson had some trouble articulating what exactly she felt while Celine belted out the ballad, but she did manage to explain that Celine Dion "is the gold winner for vocal athletes." Clarkson's characterization of Dion's singing abilities is undeniably accurate, but the success of Celine's performance was about more than just the music. As Clarkson alluded to but had difficulty explaining, Celine Dion knocking it out of the park at this time was truly inspiring.
Celine Dion's performance was so moving
WE ARE SPEECHLESS. 🥹
Celine Dion gives the performance of a lifetime at the #ParisOlympics. pic.twitter.com/EE2Yjuc9Sx
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2024
After spending decades establishing herself as one of the best vocal performers of all time, Celine Dion was dealt a crushing blow when she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare disease that began rearing its ugly head in Dion's life 17 years ago. Stiff person syndrome is a progressive autoimmune disease, a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to move, and it has tragically had an effect on Dion's ability to sing. As Dion explained to Today, "The more you panic, the more you spasm," which understandably makes performing on stage in front of thousands or even millions of people considerably more difficult. Even with her frightening diagnosis though, Dion proclaimed, "I'm going to go back on stage, even if I have to crawl, even if I have to talk with my hands, I will." That marked Dion's appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a true victory for the superstar.
Kelly Clarkson wasn't the only one who got emotional at Celine's performance either. One user said on X, formerly Twitter, "Celine Dion being healthy enough to make a comeback is exactly what [the] world needs right now." Another X user exclaimed, "... I'm truly in tears seeing her perform after reading about how much she has struggled with health issues recently. What a performance!"
When she announced her diagnosis, Dion made her intentions to keep performing clear, and her stunning show at the 2024 Olympics proved that she's ready to put her money where her mouth (and voice) is.