Sinead O’Connor’s Family ‘Devastated’ By Her Death: Read Their Heartbreaking Statement

The ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ singer’s family were ‘devastated’ her death in a statement, while also asking for privacy.

Sinead O’Connor’s family paid tribute to her in a statement to The Irish Times on Wednesday, July 26. The I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got singer’s loved ones honored her after her death at 56. “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,” they said.

Sinead’s cause of death was not announced. The Irish singer is survived by three children: Jake Reynolds, 36, Roison Waters, 27,  and Yeshua Bonadio, 16. Her son Shane Lunny died by suicide at age 17 in January 2022. Following Shane’s death, Sinead often posted about the grief she felt since his passing on social media. One of her final tweets was a tribute to him with a photo of the two of them. “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. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him,” she wrote.

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Sinead had been married four times and had her children with four different men. Jake’s father is musician John Reynolds, who Sinead was married to from 1989 to 1991. John produced many of Sinead’s albums, including more recent releases years after their split. He produced her 2014 album I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss, as well as played drums for her 2013 tour. The singer had Roison with Irish writer John Waters. Her son Shane was born from a relationship with Irish folk musician Donal Lunny, and she had Yeshua with Frank Bonadio. 

Sinead’s other marriages were to journalist Nick Sommerland from 2001 to 2002, musician Steve Cooney from 2010 to 2011, and therapist Barry Hedridge in 2011, but their marriage lasted only a week. Sinead was also a grandmother to Jake’s son.

Sinead is one of the most critically-acclaimed Irish pop artists of all-time. After beginning her career in the 80s, she became an international star with her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. While she became a household name, she was the subject of controversy, after a 1992 appearance on Saturday Night Live where she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. At the time of her death, Sinead had released 10 albums, with her most recent being 2014’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss. She also published her memoir Rememberings in 2021.