Sinéad O'Connor made headlines on October 3, 1992, during her appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL), when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II.
This rebellious act marked a turning point in her career.
Two years earlier, O'Connor had achieved immense success with her cover of Prince's “Nothing Compares 2 U,” but she never desired the fame that came with it.
After her SNL performance, O'Connor faced a severe backlash for speaking out against child abuse committed and covered up by the Catholic Church in Ireland.
This singular moment had a lasting impact, and now, following her death at the age of 56, we can fully comprehend its significance.
O'Connor unintentionally became a global sensation with “Nothing Compares 2 U” and its iconic music video.
The song topped the charts and earned her the distinction of being the first female artist to win Video of the Year at the MTV Music Video Awards.
However, fame did not sit well with O'Connor, and she clashed with the music industry's expectations of her.
In 1991, O'Connor received four Grammy nominations for “Nothing Compares 2 U” and her album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.
In protest against the emphasis on material gain, she declined the nominations and eventually refused the award for Best Alternative Music Performance.
Following the success of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, O'Connor released an album of jazz standards titled Am I Not Your Girl?
in 1992.
To promote the album, she was scheduled to appear on SNL.
However, she had previously withdrawn from a different episode due to the host, comedian Andrew Dice Clay, known for his offensive jokes.
During rehearsals for SNL, O'Connor held up a photo of a Brazilian child who was killed by the police while singing an acapella version of Bob Marley's “War.”
However, during the live broadcast, she had a different plan in mind.
O'Connor had always intended to destroy a specific photo of Pope John Paul II.
The photo belonged to her mother, with whom she had a strained relationship.
After her mother's death, O'Connor took possession of the photo, waiting for the right moment to tear it up.
Her anger stemmed from her own experiences of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her mother.
As she sang the final lyrics of “War” on live TV, O'Connor dramatically tore the photo apart, directly addressing the camera and declaring, “Fight the real enemy!”
The audience fell into stunned silence, with only one man audibly gasping.
Little did O'Connor know the repercussions that would follow in the weeks and years to come.
The backlash against O'Connor was swift and severe.
She was banned for life from SNL, became a pariah in the media, and faced booing at a tribute show for Bob Dylan.
Even Madonna, known for her controversial actions, believed O'Connor had gone too far.
Later that season on SNL, Madonna mocked O'Connor by tearing up a picture of Long Island mechanic Joey Buttafuoco, chanting her own slogan, “Fight the real enemy!”
In a 2021 interview, O'Connor reflected on the aftermath of her SNL performance, expressing shock at how she was treated by everyone around her.
Despite the negative consequences, she believed that tearing up the Pope's photo put her career back on track and allowed her to be true to herself.
Years later, in 2010, Pope Benedict formally apologized to victims of abuse perpetrated by Ireland's Catholic clergy, vindicating O'Connor's stance.
In her final years, O'Connor reclaimed her legacy through her memoir Rememberings and the documentary Nothing Compares, released in 2020.
Audiences now recognize her as a visionary who was ahead of her time.
Sinéad O'Connor's defiant act on SNL may have stirred controversy, but it ultimately set her free to be her authentic self.
