The sudden loss of singer Sinead O'Connor took the world by surprise. While so many hearts broke
at the artist's tragic death, it's important to remember her own life was anything but painless.
In an interview on the The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2007, Sinéad O'Connor shared that her struggles
with mental health began during her tumultuous childhood. As she said on an episode of Dr. Phil,
she was a victim of emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of her mother, describing their
home as a, quote, "torture chamber." She ran away from said home at the age of 13.
"I hate not being able to love her. I hate not being able to have taken care of her."
O'Connor explained to Oprah that, in the era she grew up in,
there was little room to talk about abuse, so music became her form of expression.
She also noted that this abuse was further reflected by the way the media treated her.
For young women in celebrity culture, the pressure to appeal to audiences for fear
of critique is especially difficult. She also explained that this pressure
from media may been a contributing factor in her developing bipolar disorder — an
illness she lived with for years before finally getting diagnosed. She reflected,
"I don't think I was born with bipolar disorder — I believe it was created as a result of the
violence I experienced. It didn't really help in terms of being well or a stable person,
the fact that I really was getting kicked around, metaphorically speaking, by the media for years."
Additionally, the artist opened up about battling depression and suicidal thoughts,
which led her to attempt suicide on her 33rd birthday. Even though she was celebrated as
a generation-defining artist, her success did not erase her struggles. She elaborated that
her ability to feel fulfilled and happy seemed to diminish more and more over time. Luckily, she had
her children, whose influence in her life helped her maintain a stable rhythm to some degree.
In November 2015, O'Connor posted a concerning message on Facebook. In the note,
she wrote that she'd quote, "taken an overdose" and had been having a
difficult time since undergoing an emergency hysterectomy. She also expressed that she'd
felt abandoned by her family following her recovery. After she'd been found safe,
she took to Facebook to berate her former partners and children.
In the post, she described the fathers of her children as "child stealing murderers" and
"hypocrites" before listing their names and stating that she no longer wanted
them in her life. In the post, O'Connor also mentioned her two eldest children,
Jake Reynolds and Roisin Waters, who were 28 and 19 at the time. To them, she wrote,
"You're dead to me. You killed your mother."
Despite the possible tension between O'Connor and her loved ones, after these events she
still expressed appreciation for her family while speaking with Dr. Phil.
"I love my family, and I don't blame them. It's not easy for families of mentally ill people."
Unfortunately, O'Connor's struggles did not end there. In January 2022, Sinéad O'Connor's middle
son, Shane Lunny, was reported missing by Irish news outlets. The singer put out a plea on her
social media as a search mission continued for him. She addressed a tweet to her son, writing,
"Shane, your life is precious. God didn't chisel that beautiful smile
on your beautiful face for nothing. My world would collapse without you. You
are my heart. Please don't stop it from beating. Please don't harm yourself."
According to The Guardian, just two days after the teen had run away, Irish law enforcement
officials confirmed O'Connor's son died by suicide. He was just 17 years-old. After the
tragic news story broke, O'Connor mourned the loss of her child in a heartbreaking tweet.
She honored her son with another tweet that wished him peace in death and encouraged others
not to follow the same path. According to CNN, O'Connor was hospitalized a week after Lunny's
death to seek treatment as she grappled with her grief. While still in mourning,
she wrote in another tweet that she felt hospitalization was the right decision.
Just a few days before her death, O'Connor again sent out a tweet about her late son,
noting how deeply difficult the grieving process had been. She wrote,
"Been living as undead night creature since [...] He was the love of my life,
the lamp of my life. 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."
Shortly after Shane Lunny died, the family held a funeral for him,
which took the form of a traditional Hindu ceremony. O'Connor posted about
the funeral on social media. She called the proceedings "lovely," and felt that
Shane would have appreciated them greatly, noting that he was quote, "always chanting."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis,
help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org