Celine Dion Tearfully Thanks Her Children, Receives Standing Ovation at N.Y.C. Documentary Premiere ArticlePure

Céline Dion tearfully introduced the upcoming documentary focused on her life.

At the New York City premiere for I Am: Celine Dion, an upcoming Prime Video documentary that goes inside the life of the legendary performer and her battle with a rare neurological disorder, stiff-person syndrome (SPS), she introduced the film and thanked everyone involved, including her children.

The “Queen of Power Ballads” approached the stage to briefly speak about the documentary, and she was immediately met with an uproar of applause. 

At the start of her speech, she thanked her physician, Dr. Amanda Piquet, and documentary filmmaker, Irene Taylor Brodsky. Dion, 56, also told the audience that it was the largest crowd she had been in front of in years.

“Of course, I wouldn’t be here without the daily love and support from my wonderful children,” she said. Dion shares three sons, René-Charles, 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13, with her late husband, René Angélil. 

“Thank you, ??René-Charles. Thank you, Nelson. Thank you, Eddy. Thank you very much,” she said as the audience maintained their passionate applause.

She continued, “And thanks to you, my fans, your presence in my journey has been a gift beyond measure. Your never-ending love and support for all the issues have delivered me to this moment.”

“One of the stories you will hear from me in this movie as I was reading, learning about my condition. I compared myself — and I’m not saying this because we’re in New York — but I compared myself to an apple. Oh, it sounds like we made it up, but I did, and I was in Las Vegas,” she joked.

“When I said to myself that I compared myself to an apple from a tree, [I said], ‘I don’t want you [fans] to wait in line anymore if I don’t have any shiny apples for you,’” she continued. “So a couple of days ago, I saw a message from a fan and it said, ‘We’re not here for the apple. We’re here for the truth.’ ” 

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“I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have my friends in my life,” she said as she wiped away a tear.

Dion was then met on stage by René-Charles, who brought her a tissue. “Thank you to all of you from the bottom of my heart for being part of my journey. This movie is my love letter to each of you.”

“I hope to see you all again very soon,” she concluded as she was met with a standing ovation.

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Once the screening concluded, Dion and Taylor waved to the audience as they continued to receive applause.

The five-time Grammy winner wore an all-white look that included a long skirt and an elegant long-sleeved blouse for the event. She accessorized with a silver belt, matching bracelets, and stud earrings. 

I Am: Céline Dion premieres on Prime Video on June 25.