Irish singer-songwriter and activist Sinéad O'Connor, who later adopted the name Shuhada' Sadaqat, died last year from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, according to a report citing her death certificate.
O'Connor, the “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer who ripped up a photo of the pope during a 1992 appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” died July 26, 2023. She was 56.
The Irish Independent reported that the singer had also suffered a respiratory tract infection and that O'Connor's ex-husband John Reynolds registered her death last week. The certificate states that the cause of death was “exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma together with a mild lower respiratory tract infection,” according to the Irish Independent.
O'Connor was found unconscious at her home in south-east London and her death was not being treated as suspicious, the Metropolitan Police confirmed to The Times last July.
Earlier this year, London's Inner South Coroner's Court confirmed that O'Connor died of “natural causes”, leading to confusion over the circumstances of her death as the phrase is often associated with people dying of old age.
“It has been said that death is deemed to have arisen from natural causes if the evidence shows that it is probable (i.e. more likely than not) that the cause of death was the result of a natural pathological process that ran its course,” the Society of Coroners of England and Wales said in a January statement shared with People.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease “is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstruction of airflow in the lungs,” the Mayo Clinic explains. People with COPD, often caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases or airborne particles such as cigarette smoke, are at increased risk for developing heart disease, lung cancer and other conditions.
Weeks after her death, O'Connor was buried in her coastal hometown of Bray, Ireland, after a citywide celebration of life that included dozens of fans singing her cover of Prince's “Nothing Compares 2 U” as they followed her flower-filled hearse.
Dublin's National Wax Museum Plus will also pay tribute to O'Connor with a wax figure, though not without more work. The museum faced criticism from the public last week for its portrayal of the “All Apologies” singer, which O'Connor's brother John called “inappropriate,” according to the BBC.
“It didn't look anything like her and I thought it was horrible,” she told Irish radio show Liveline last week.
The museum addressed the statue controversy in a statement Friday, vowing to “create a more accurate presentation.”
“We are committed to creating a new wax figure that better reflects the true spirit and iconic image of Sinead O’Connor,” the statement said. “Our team of expert artists will begin this project immediately, ensuring every detail is meticulously crafted to appropriately celebrate her legacy.”
Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.
