Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age of 56, according to a report.
The Irish Times published a statement from the troubled pop icon: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” it said. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
O’Connor, who infamously tore a photo of Pope John Paul II in half in 1992, found worldwide fame in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s song, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which was named the number one world single that year by the Billboard Music Awards.
The singer released ten studio albums over her career. She was presented with the inaugural award for Classic Irish Album at the RTÉ Choice Music Awards earlier this year.
In 2018, O’Connor announced that she had converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada.
She is survived by her three children, Jake, Roisin, and Yeshua. Her son, Shane, died last year at the age of 17, leading to a medical episode for her. Breitbart News reported at the time:
The Irish singer confessed to feeling “lost” without her boy Shane and said she “hates’” herself but wants to seek help, after first posting and then deleting a message that shone a light on her own will to go on alone.
She wrote online: “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I am with cops now on way to hospital. I’m sorry I upset everyone. I am lost without my kid and I hate myself. Hospital will help a while.”
The pop star publicly struggled with mental health issues. In 2017, she posted a video to Facebook where she described herself as suicidal. “People who suffer from mental illness are the most vulnerable people on Earth,” she said in the emotional message.
“You’ve got to take care of us. We’re not like everybody. If you have a family member that suffers from mental illness, care for them, tenderness, love, care for them. Visit them in the hospital, don’t dump them in the hospital and bugger off.”
No cause of death has been given.
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