Published on: October 3, 2025, 07:21h.
Updated on: October 2, 2025, 10:21h.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Vegas Myths Busted” appears every Monday, plus a bonus Flashback Friday edition. Today’s article in our continuing series first published on June 5, 2023.
Celine Dion has faced her share of hardships. The Canadian pop icon has been thrust back into the limelight due to a rare degenerative neurological condition, Stiff Person Syndrome, resulting in the cancellation of her musical engagements for the foreseeable future.
It’s high time to give her a break and finally dispel a long-standing misconception that has plagued her for two decades.
In 2002, Dion and her late spouse, René Angélil, constructed a $5 million residence in Lake Las Vegas, an exclusive community in Henderson, Nevada. This is where Dion reportedly resides with their three children, located merely 20 miles from Caesars Palace.
Did she actually travel by helicopter from her home to the rooftop of Caesars during her first Las Vegas residency from 2003 to 2007?
This extravagant behavior seemed plausible at the time, given that Dion’s first Las Vegas residency, “A New Day,” was a true transformative experience for the entertainment scene.
It was the inaugural residency directed by a renowned director (Franco Dragone, formerly with Cirque du Soleil).
Housed in a custom-built 4,000-seat venue, the Colosseum, which cost $90 million, it was designed specifically for her shows.
Additionally, Dion’s initial three-year agreement promised a record-breaking payment of $80,000 per performance, which was extended for two more years at likely an even greater compensation.
Feeling Envious?
Las Vegas had never experienced anything akin to this, and not everyone was delighted. A close-knit assembly of headliners, including Wayne Newton and Sheena Easton, worked hard to maintain their relevance amid the attention-grabbing headlines.
This group of entertainers often gathered for dinners and gossip at a local steakhouse, reportedly feeling disgruntled about the highest-selling female artist suddenly taking center stage without what they perceived as a requisite amount of work.
“This lady is like an alien, landing her spacecraft here for a few years, consuming all the air and then departing,” a March 16, 2003, Newsweek article quoted a nameless Las Vegas headliner. “You won’t find her attending others’ premieres and events.”
“She’s just not part of the Vegas scene.”
This vibe certainly contributed to persistent rumors that Dion lip-synced during performances and that her ticket sales struggled due to elevated pricing. In truth, “A New Day” generated $385 million by the time its five-year run concluded, attracting nearly 3 million attendees who paid an average of $135 per ticket, making it the most lucrative residency ever.
Close, Distant, Wherever You May Be
The same Newsweek article served as the reference for the helicopter commuting myth.
“Plans to travel by helicopter were abandoned after neighbors expressed concerns,” the author stated in a casual comment that cleverly led into the next topic: “Celine will fly — well, with the assistance of some cables — in front of the world’s largest LED screen and above a half-acre stage.”
Even though the Newsweek piece indicated that no helicopter rides were taken by Dion, the mere suggestion of her flying to avoid a 20-mile drive gained traction, akin to those imagined helicopters themselves.
This speculation even led to inquiries from Larry King during his CNN program when Dion appeared on Nov. 7, 2004, and again on Feb. 15, 2010. The late host famously claimed to avoid preparing for interviews, seemingly unaware both times that the helicopter flights were a fabrication.
“I have no clue where this story originated,” Dion responded the first time King inquired. “It’s never been a hassle since we live just 30 minutes away. We have a driver.”
At that moment, Dion attributed the rumor to “the media” and “industry insiders.”
“They need to amplify stories to maintain interest — it’s already spicy, so they just add more embellishments. It’s really nothing. It was just a minor item in a publication.”
The Titanic Fabrication
Of course, a celebrity denial isn’t definitive proof against the myth. However, whether the helicopter flights truly happened is simple enough to refute with circumstantial evidence. “A New Day” consisted of 714 performances, totaling 1,428 alleged helicopter journeys.
No photographs have ever appeared on social or legacy media featuring Dion boarding or disembarking from Caesars’ rooftop helipad, nor arriving at Lake Las Vegas, where neighbors supposedly had grievances and would have had reasons to capture evidence.
The crucial question remains whether flight plans were genuinely proposed to her neighbors, who subsequently complained. Casino.org reached out to the Lake Las Vegas Master Association for a statement. However, they understandably declined to comment due to their policy of respecting resident confidentiality.
Nevertheless, this myth collapses when confronted with one undeniable fact, verified by a Caesars security official: there has never been a helipad at Caesars Palace.
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