Sinéad O’Connor was found unresponsive at home, police say

27 July, 2023

More details around the circumstances of Sinéad O’Connor‘s death have been confirmed.

The Irish singer’s family confirmed yesterday (July 26) that she had passed away at the age of 56. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” read their statement, as reported by The Guardian.

Now, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed that O’Connor was found unresponsive at her home in London yesterday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her next of kin have been notified and her death is not being treated as suspicious. A file will now be prepared for the coroner.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called at 11.18am on Wednesday 26 July to reports of an unresponsive woman at a residential address in the SE24 area.

“Officers attended. A 56-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.” [via SkyNews]

Sinéad O'Connor at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9, 2020. Credit: Lindsey Best for the Washington Post/GETTY
Sinéad O’Connor at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9, 2020. Credit: Lindsey Best for the Washington Post/GETTY

Tributes were paid from across the industry to O’Connor, including from Garbage, Billy Corgan, Michael Stipe and Ice-T.

However, Morrissey later criticised the industry response, suggesting it was hypocritical considering the lack of support O’Connor had for her actions – including protesting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church live on television – while she was alive.

“The cruel playpen of fame gushes with praise for Sinead today … with the usual moronic labels of “icon” and “legend”. You praise her now ONLY because it is too late. You hadn’t the guts to support her when she was alive and she was looking for you. The press will label artists as pests because of what they withhold … and they would call Sinead sad, fat, shocking, insane … oh but not today!” he wrote in a blog post titled ‘You Know I Couldn’t Last’.

Fans have shared footage of O’Connor’s last TV interview in 2021, where she discussed the idea of being “the first ever cancelled person”.

“That’s a good question, I never thought of that,” O’Connor replied, saying she considered herself a “protest singer”.

“Sinéad O’Connor was never meant to be a pop star,” she added.

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