Kelly Clarkson’s rendition of Céline Dion’s iconic song deeply touched Dion. On Tuesday, Dion took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her heartfelt reaction to Clarkson’s recent performance of “My Heart Will Go On” during her talk show.
Reflecting on Clarkson’s comments about her performance at the Eiffel Tower after the Olympics, Dion expressed, “When I came back from the Olympics, I got to watch and listen to your reaction. It was so sweet to hear you, your voice.
Your voice was breaking and it touched me so tremendously.” As she became emotional, Dion added, “You were crying and then you made me start crying. What’s up with all this friggin crying?! And now I just saw you sing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and I’m crying again.”
Dion praised Clarkson’s cover, saying, “You were absolutely incredible. Fantastic. I loved it so much. I hope we can see each other in person soon. Very soon. And I hope I’m not gonna start crying. I love you so much. Thanks. Bye.”
On September 27, Clarkson, 42, performed the emotional ballad with her band. Afterward, she hinted at a special reason for selecting that song, promising to reveal it soon. “She really is an incredible talent. Her stunning performance at the Olympics was one of the highlights for me this summer. It was so good,” Clarkson said.
She further explained, “Usually I would never cover that song because there are some songs you just don’t want to go near as a vocalist, but there’s a reason I actually did that today. You’ll find out later.” In July, Clarkson participated in the broadcast team for the Opening Ceremony in Paris during the Olympics.
At that event, Dion sang Edith Piaf’s classic “Hymne À L’Amour” beneath the Eiffel Tower, with the Olympic Rings illuminated above her. Overwhelmed by emotion, Clarkson remarked, “I actually can’t talk,” later adding, “That was really beautiful. People don’t know her story. What she’s been going through physically… it’s just incredible what she’s overcome to have that moment.”
Clarkson could be heard sniffling during her response, emphasizing, “She’s a vocal athlete. She’s incredible.” Dion’s performance marked her first since sharing her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome in December 2022, a condition that has impacted her singing ability.
In a June cover story for PEOPLE, she revealed, “My vocal cords used to lead my way, and now I can’t even just talk with them. I barely could walk, and I was missing very much living.”
Most recently, on October 6, Dion appeared in a new NFL promotional video for the upcoming Sunday Night game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the final scene, she was doused with buckets of what appeared to be Gatorade, reenacting a celebratory tradition associated with winning NFL teams.