Outrage Over Sinéad O'Connor Wax Figure: Fans Ask 'Did They Even Try?' Over 'Brutal' Display

Sinead O'Connor
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A wax figure of the late Sinéad O'Connor sparked outrage among fans upon its reveal.

The Irish musician, known for her soul-stirring performance of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," tragically passed away at the age of 56 on July 26, 2023. Her unexpected death left a void in the music world, leading to an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow musicians alike.

Following the tragic passing of her son Shane in 2022, O'Connor found herself grappling with overwhelming grief. The loss halted the progress of her latest album, "No Veterans Die Alone," and forced the postponement of her tour.

Following her passing, Ireland united to celebrate O'Connor's musical legacy, which resulted in the creation of a wax sculpture in her image, set to be showcased at the prestigious National Wax Museum in Dublin.

The wax work was revealed Thursday, just a day before the first anniversary of O'Connor's death.

Her close friend Paddy Dunning, the museum's proprietor, gave a touching speech before unveiling the wax figure adorned with a plaque honoring the occasion.

"We didn't put her with this great big smile, we put her as a serious artist in this period time of 'Nothing Compares 2 U,' which was an emotional video. I think it touched everyone's heart," Dunning said, according to the Irish Mirror. "The head is amazing, the eyebrows, the lips, the hands are pretty amazing."

While the wax figure was meant to honor the late Irish singer, several fans were stunned by the depiction and expressed disappointment over its lack of resemblance to O'Connor.

On X, formerly Twitter, @KeithAnderson6 wrote, "I have never joked about the quality of another artist's work. But I just can't accept that the wax work of Sinead was given the go ahead to be put on display. I have secondhand embarrassment for the artist in question. This is my portrait, and this is what she really looks like."

Another user, @glennpolley, described it as "awful" before asking, "Did they just lift this from the window of the nearest H&M? Sinéad deserves more than that."

User @queenemma3 declared, "I actually can't believe that this was passed to even resemble our Sinead. I feel so bad for the guy who made it. I [just] saw on the live [that] he had health problems that no one told him before it was finished; he would [have] put huge effort [into] it."

"Im sorry but that's appalling. Whoever is doing these wax figures needs to be retrained," @SineadFarrell30 wrote.

"Very bad likeness, Did they even try?" X user @rosetta_sister asked, while @RossCWalton1 called it "brutal."

Following an incident involving an "unresponsive woman" in Herne Hill, south London, authorities initially ruled out any suspicion surrounding O'Connor's death.

An investigation by a coroner concluded that O'Connor's death was from natural causes.

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