Sinéad O'Connor's Ex Broke Silence on Her Cause of Death — She Lived like 'Night Creature' during Last Days

• Iconic Irish musician Sinéad O'Connor tragically passed away at 56 in 2023 with her cause of death being revealed the following year.
• She passed days after sharing her heartbreak over losing her son.
• Before she died, O'Connor opened up about how she had been living as an "undead night creature" since her son's passing.

Legendary Irish musician Sinéad O'Connor, famously known for her rendition of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," passed away at 56 on July 26, 2023. A statement released by her family confirmed the tragic news and asked the public to respect their privacy as they mourn the devastating loss.

At the time of her death, a cause wasn't revealed leaving fans to only speculate. It took months before any feedback was released about the cause of her death and only in early January 2024, did the coroner share the truth about her passing.

On January 9, 2024, the coroner gave a bride statement saying, “Ms. O’Connor died of natural causes.” They ruled that they'd cease being involved in her death from that point onward, and besides that, nothing else was revealed about the late artist's death.

The singer, who would think of her mother when she sang, was born in County Dublin in December 1966. Growing up as one of five children, O'Connor faced a tough childhood and previously opened up about the physical abuse she endured from her mother. Years later, she shot to fame by releasing her first album, "The Lion And The Cobra," in 1987, which grew exceptionally popular.

Her three remaining children keep her legacy alive after one tragically took his life in January 2022. O'Connor's son, Shane, passed away when he was 17 years old. According to reports, the young boy was under suicide watch at a local hospital in Ireland before he managed to escape after being booked for making two past attempts.

Shane's passing devastated his mother so much that she opted to cancel all her June 2022 shows shortly after his death. In the statement released by her management team, they cited health and well-being concerns caused by the tragedy as the reason for her cancelation. In her final tweet, before she lost her life, the "This Is the Day" singer tweeted:

"#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022. Been living as undead night creature since.. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul."

Despite past concerns over the artist's mental health, O'Connor's death still comes as a shock to all who adored the singer across the globe. Apart from her musical talents, many remember the star, who spent time in a Magdalene asylum for ditching school and shoplifting at 15, for her iconic shaved head and punk-rock attitude.

Rolling Stone also recognized O'Connor as Artist of the Year in 1991, and she garnered several Grammy Award nominations. Over the trajectory of her career, the controversial musician recorded ten albums, worked with other legendary artists, and produced film scores.

Going back to her death, the singer's ex, Dermott Hayes, said he thought she'd died from a "broken heart.” The broken heart he referred to was related to O'Connor losing her son not long before her own passing.

How O'Connor's Son Tragically Lost His Life

Besides her illustrious career as a legendary singer and songwriter, O'Connor also welcomed four children during the course of her life. After her beloved son, Shane, took his own life, the tragedy deeply impacted O'Connor. She announced his death and shared her grief via social media saying:

"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... I love you so much."

According to the "Drink Before the War" musician, Shane was a certified mommy's boy, and the two shared an extremely close bond. A snippet from O'Connor's memoir reveals that her son, whose father, Dónal Lunny, is also an artist, had essentially been the reason behind the creation of his mom's "Sean-Nós Nua" album. The musician shared that Shane's conception happened within the same timeline as the making of the album.

In the days leading up to his death, he was admitted to a medical facility which put him under suicide watch. The boy, who was declared a genius by his loving mother, went missing, and his concerned mom posted about the occurrence on Twitter. She also pleaded with him and the public to contact the Gardai.

She opened up about her only suicide attempt in 1999 in a past interview and continued to divulge her numerous mental battles throughout her remaining years.

Days later, O'Connor posted another series of tweets blaming the hospital where he had been staying for his disappearance. The devastated mama bear stated:

"Like, how has a seventeen-year-old traumatised young person WHO WAS ON SUICIDE WATCH in Tallaght Hospital's Lynn Ward been able to go missing??? Hospital of course so far refusing to take any responsibility. Anything happens to my son on their watch? Lawsuits."

After Ireland police located Shane's body, confirming his death, O'Connor was hospitalized. The music icon posted worrisome tweets about wanting to follow her son and take her own life, prompting the hospital admission.

In 2023, before her passing, O'Connor, survived by her children, Jake, Róisín, and Yeshua, posted one last video giving her fans an update about her life. The star, who once sang backup vocals alongside her daughter Róisín, made comments about being unimpressed with her appearance and brought up her late son, stating:

"He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally... Your kid unfortunately passing away it isn't good for ones [sic] body, or soul to be fair."

On January 16, 2022, pictures of O'Connor attending her son's Hindu funeral went around social media. What stood out was how the artist wore a bright pink sweatsuit with black shoes. Before passing on, Shane's mother struggled with personal issues.

What O'Connor Said about Her Mental Health

O'Connor faced many mental health struggles. During an interview in 2007, she revealed being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Of the mental condition, which typically causes extreme emotional highs and lows, as well as mood swings, O'Connor said:

"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... I couldn't really manage all of that on top of everything else."

In addition to her bipolar diagnosis, the singer suffered from Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and suicidal ideation. She opened up about her only suicide attempt in 1999 in a past interview and continued to divulge her numerous mental battles throughout her remaining years.

O'Connor also spoke about how unpredictable her CPTSD, specifically, was. She likened herself to a rescue dog, who would be completely fine until it smelled the tiniest whiff of trauma once put into a certain situation.

Thankfully, O'Connor was able to seek therapeutic help while dealing with her tumultuous mental struggles and previously reported to be managing her life well with the tools given during her sessions.

The beloved artist is missed and remembered by everyone she influenced and inspired with her music. May she and her son continue resting in eternal peace.