Sinead O'Connor Dead: Singer's Controversial Life and Career Explored

The life of Sinead O'Connor was full of turbulence, with the global music star having been a teenage shoplifter at one point.

Throughout it all, she remained truthful about her difficulties; from her trying upbringing to the sorrowful death of her son Shane O'Connor when he was just 17 years old.

Sinead was born on December 8, 1966, in Glenageary, County Dublin, Ireleand, as one of five kids brought up within a Roman Catholic family.

Her life was tragically blighted by child mistreatment, loneliness, mental health struggles, and various failed suicide attempts.

Troubled Youth

From an early age, Sinead O'Connor had spoken of being abused by her parents - before they split when she was eight.

Eventually, her teenage misbehaving, including shoplifting and truancy landed her in a notorious Magdalene asylum for 18 months at 15 years old.

Recalling the events many years later, the singer spoke of her heartbreaking experience at age 14 when she was labeled a "problem child" and subsequently sent away to the Sisters of Our Lady Charity.

The singer said in 1990, "I will never experience such panic and terror and agony over anything as I did at that place."

During her appearance on a live TV broadcast, Sinead shred a picture of Pope John Paul II - an action believed to have been sparked by the emotions she experienced during her 18-month stay at the High Park rehabilitation center.

Controversial Ripping of Pope's Picture

In 1992, Sinead's performance on the NBC sketch show for "Saturday Night Live" provided shockwaves throughout the media landscape.

After concluding an acappella version of Bob Marley's "War," she decided to take a stand against the sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church by ripping a photo of Pope John Paul II into pieces before shouting out: "Fight the real enemy."

The consequences were immediate and harsh.

Just weeks after getting a lifetime ban from NBC shows, Sinead O'Connor's infamy rose even further when the star was booed off stage during a Bob Dylan tribute concert.

To add to her troubles, none other than Frank Sinatra chose to chastise her during one of his performances.

Frank said, "This must be one stupid broad. I'd kick her ass if she were a guy. She must beat her kids to stay in shape."

'Nothing Compares 2 U'

Initially, Sinead O'Connor made waves with the success of her album "The Lion and the Cobra," released in 1987.

Yet it was one single from her 1990 album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" that made Sinead O'Connor an international sensation.

That song was a cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U", which became a huge No. 1 hit around the world.

Sinead's captivating closeup performance in her music video was frequently broadcasted on MTV.

Mental Health

Four years after revealing her bipolar disorder diagnosis on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", Sinead O'Connor suffered an apparent suicide attempt on her 33rd birthday.

She took to Facebook shortly afterward, desperately trying to locate family members while still unconscious.

After a long delay, a harrowing video was uploaded to the internet showcasing her emotional struggle. The video exposed that she was battling with suicidal thoughts and living in an unappealing motel in the New Jersey countryside.

Four Marriages, Four Husbands

Sinead welcomed her firstborn child, Jake, in 1987 with her first husband John Reynolds who happened to be a music producer.

Next, she had a daughter named Roisin with Irish journalist John Waters; however, the two were unable to agree on custody so Roisin ultimately lived with her dad in Dublin.

Then came a second son for Tally via musician Donal Lunny in 2004 followed by one more in 2006 when Yeshua was welcomed into the world alongside Frank Bonadio.

Death of Her Son

A sorrowful event happened to the O'Connor family in 2022. Shane, their third child, lost his life to suicide at age 17.

Before this tragedy, he had been on suicide watch and had made two previous attempts. In a tweet earlier this month, Sinead expressed her incredible anguish for her late son.

In her final tweet =before her death, Sinead tweeted, "He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally."

"I am lost in the bardo without him."