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Already a bestselling recording artist, Grammy and Juno award winner and musical icon, Céline Dion is adding a new accolade to her shelf: Collectible Barbie doll.
But toymaker Mattel’s salute to the famed Canadian singer has rankled some fans, who say the likeness doesn’t resemble their queen of the power ballad.
Mattel announced the Dion doll on Monday as part of its Barbie Signature Series, the toy company’s premium line of collectible dolls celebrating famous faces from the worlds of fashion, the arts, sport and more.
Previous figures honoured with specialty dolls include Miley Cyrus, Whitney Houston, Marilyn Monroe, Venus and Serena Williams, and Dr. Jane Goodall.
Dion’s limited edition doll recreates her look from the 1998 Academy Awards, when the historical romance Titanic scored 11 Oscar wins, including best original song for My Heart Will Go On, which the Quebec-born singer performed during the ceremony.
“It is a true honour to join the Barbie legacy with a doll inspired by one of the most meaningful moments of my career,” Dion said in a statement. “I hope this doll inspires everyone to express themselves with confidence, follow their dreams and believe in the power of their own voice.”
The doll is based on Dion’s look from the 1998 Academy Awards, where she performed My Heart Will Go from the film Titanic and the soaring ballad won the Oscar for best original song. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
A wave of initial fan reactions expressed dismay on social media; though happy with the tribute, they shared disappointment about the likeness of the doll, which retails for $90.
“So sorry but she doesn’t look like our Céline,” a fan with the username celinedion_amour noted on the Barbie Instagram announcement, offering praise for the “iconic dress and the necklace” but unhappiness with the doll’s face.
“Why did you all do Celine like that?!” added commenter duchess_rizzy. “I thought it’s old lady Rose from Titanic.”
A host of fans gave the doll thumbs down, saying its face did not resemble the Canadian singer. (Barbie/Instagram)
Others noted that rather than Dion, the doll appeared to resemble actress and former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Lisa Rinna. Others noted a closer resemblance to Catherine, the Princess of Wales.
Recent concert comeback
Last month, Dion made a momentous return to performing in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre at Plenitude Arena, Europe’s largest indoor concert venue, where she kicked off a series of more than two dozen highly anticipated shows that will stretch into 2027.
Tens of thousands of Celine Dion fans gathered to watch the French-Canadian singer return to the stage in Paris, after a diagnosis of stiff person’s syndrome in 2022 forced her to take a break from performing.
It marked her first concert in six years, following a brief public performance closing out the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The Grammy and Juno-winning singer had stepped away from the spotlight in 2022 after revealing she’d been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a progressive neurological autoimmune disorder that causes pain, stiffness and muscle spasms.
Diana Beydoun and Samira Shakib-Bregeth tell The National about the moment they saw Celine Dion sing with fans outside her hotel after her concert in Paris.
