HER FINAL DAYS

GONE TOO SOON. TROUBLED SINGER SINÉAD O'CONNOR WAS DEALING WITH DEVASTATING DEPRESSION PRIOR TO HER JULY 26 DEATH

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ON July 17, nine days before her death, Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor took to Twitter to express her grief over the January 2022 death of her son, Shane, who committed suicide at age 17. “Been living as undead night creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves,” she wrote, giving fans an unflinching look at her troubled mental state. “He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally,” she added. “I am lost in the bardo without him.”

Less than two weeks later, family members revealed that Sinéad — who was propelled into stardom with her 1990 hit song “Nothing Compares 2 U” and dealt her career a near-fatal blow by ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 appearance on Saturday Night Live — had tragically died in her new London home at the age of 56. According to a source, loved ones had grown increasingly concerned about Sinéad in recent weeks. “There was a sense that Shane’s death wasn’t something she would be able to survive,” the source tells Star. “She was barely able to function.”

Her final hours were spent isolated and alone. “People close to Sinéad did their best to keep an eye on her, but it was an impossible task because she was so withdrawn and unapproachable,” reveals the source. “Sinéad did everything on her own terms — right up until the very end.”

TUMULTUOUS TIMES

Much of the singer’s life was marked by struggles with mental illness, abuse and tragedy. In her 2021 memoir,