Sinéad O’Connor was found “unresponsive” and “pronounced dead at the scene” at her London home — but her death is not being treated as suspicious, police said.
The famed singer died Wednesday at 56 years old.
“A file will be prepared for the coroner,” police officials added.
“Police were called at 11:18 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26 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,” police said in a statement.
“Next of kin have been notified. The death is not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the Coroner.”
There will likely be a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death since it was sudden, authorities said.
O’Connor’s family announced the news of her passing in a statement Wednesday, saying: “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.”
The “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer died just weeks after moving into a new home and openly talking about new music and a tour in 2024.
Her passing comes 18 months after the January 2022 suicide of her 17-year-old son, Shane.
She tweeted at the time: “My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God.
“May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”
Her final tweet earlier this month was a tribute to her late son, where she wrote, “Been living as undead night creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul.”
Born in Glenageary, South County, Dublin, in 1966, O’Connor saw her parents separate when she was young and later spoke of suffering abuse at her mother’s hands, which she said led her to have mental health issues in adulthood.
O’Connor erupted onto the music scene with her debut album, “The Lion and the Cobra,” in 1987 at the age of 20. Known for her fiery temperament and shaved head, O’Connor went on to release 10 studio albums during her record-setting career.
Three years after her debut, she became a household name with a rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U” — a power ballad written by Prince.
The track turned O’Connor into an international sensation and was named the No. 1 world single in 1990 by the Billboard Music Awards.
Lauded by the Irish community, the inaugural award for Classic Irish Album was bestowed upon O’Connor at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize earlier this year. During her speech, the crowd erupted in applause and gave her a standing ovation.
O’Connor’s decorated career was not without controversy, as she often made headlines for her antics.
She cemented her status as an eccentric and passionate performer when she turned her October 1992 “Saturday Night Live” guest appearance and musical performance into a protest. The “Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home” singer shredded a pic of Pope John Paul II onstage to fight against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
The stunt got the Grammy winner exiled from NBC for life and booed off the stage at a Bob Dylan tribute concert a few weeks later, Rolling Stone reported.
O’Connor is survived by three children.
