Sinéad O’Connor, who infamously became a polarizing figure when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” says she was making a statement against child abuse and allegations that would rock the Roman Catholic Church nearly 10 years later.
“Ten years after the pope ripping episode, you all then found out in America that this was going on,”in an interview that aired Tuesday on TODAY. “We always say Americans, they think nothing happened until they found out about it.” Decades later, the moment continues to endure and while many believe her actions ruined her career, she says it highlighted something about her.
Sinéad O'Connor said she's blocked out many of the negative things that happened to her after she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on "Saturday Night Live" in 1992.“‘Sinéad O’Connor’ was never meant to be a pop star,” she said. “I was really a protest singer, you know?”“It was a blessing because I had to make my living doing the thing I loved doing, which is making music live,” she said.“It was a way of ripping her up, as well, I guess,” she said.
Well she wasn’t wrong