Sinéad O’Connor died suddenly in July 2023 at age 56. Now, her cause of death has been revealed.
Per multiple outlets — including The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter — the London coroner’s office confirmed O’Connor died from natural causes. The office further noted, “The coroner has therefore ceased their involvement in her death. No further comments will be made.”
As previously reported, O’Connor’s death was confirmed in a statement from her family to The Irish Times. The statement read, “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.”
O’Connor’s career spanned ten studio albums, with her final release being 2014’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss. She achieved worldwide stardom with her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. It topped the album charts in 17 countries and sold seven million copies.
The album, of course, featured the cover of the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which was a staple on MTV thanks to its evocative video. Like the album, the single was also a number-one hit and topped the singles charts in 22 countries.
Just two years later, O’Connor would infamously appear on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. Following an a cappella performance of Bob Marley’s “War,” she held up a photo of Pope John Paul II, ripped it up and exclaimed, “Fight the real enemy.” O’Connor’s action was in protest to known sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. (Pope John Paul II finally acknowledged and apologized for the years of abuse committed and covered up by the Catholic Church in 2001.)
O’Connor struggled with a number of mental health disorders and publicly announced her diagnoses of bipolar disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. These announcements happened in the late ’90s and early 2000’s long before openly talking about mental health was accepted.
O’Connor will be honored in a special tribute show along with fellow Irish singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan, who died in November at age 65. Per The Guardian, this tribute show will take place on March 20 at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. So far, confirmed performers include Cat Power, David Gray, Dropkick Murphys and Glen Hansard.