Sinéad O’Connor had reportedly chosen three actresses to play her in a biopic about her life before she died.
After the singer’s management recently confirmed she was considering “opportunities” to turn her best-selling memoir into a movie, The Sun has claimed she had already picked the cast.
According to the newspaper, Sinéad wanted Hollywood star Demi Moore and Irish actresses Niamh Algar and Saoirse Ronan to play her at different stages of her life.
The screenplay would have been based on her autobiography Rememberings, which was released in June 2021.
A source said: “Sinéad was keen to explore making her memoir into her film and she had a raft of ideas about how it would look on screen.
“She had a huge amount of respect for Demi and thought Niamh was a real rising star after she saw her in her TV series The Virtues.
“Sinéad, too, thought Saoirse was fierce and loved her from her film Brooklyn in 2015 when she played an Irish migrant.”
“Her early ideas for the film saw her leaning towards a triptych-style film, featuring three different actresses which would fit with a satirical reference to the Catholic Church’s father, son and Holy Ghost.
“It was clear Sinead had given real thought to the biopic and seemed keen to get involved in the script.”
Sinéad’s funeral took place on Tuesday, August 8th, and thousands turned out to pay their respects as the hearse carrying her coffin passed through Bray in Co. Wicklow.
The singer, who shot to fame in the 90s for her cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U, sadly passed away in London on July 26th – aged 56.
Sinéad’s death is not being treated as suspicious, but an autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of her death.
The results of the autopsy may not be received “for some weeks”, but her cause of death won’t be made public unless an inquest into her death is opened.
Sinéad had only recently moved to London, and shared a video showing off her new flat just two weeks before she died.
The beloved songstress is survived by three of her children – Jake, Roisin and Yeshua.
The musician, who changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat in 2018 after converting to Islam, released 10 studio albums during her career.
The news of Sinead’s death came over a year after her 17-year-old son Shane took his own life in January 2022, after he left a hospital in Dublin – where he had been admitted for care.
At the time, she wrote on social media: “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.”
In one of her last tweets, which was posted on July 17, 2023, Sinead posted a photo of herself and Shane and wrote: “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.”
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022.
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 pic.twitter.com/aC8BOmLQ9N— Sinead Marie-Bernarde Aoibheann O’Connor (@786OmShahid) July 17, 2023
Following her son’s passing last January, the singer cancelled her scheduled gigs for the rest of the year.
A statement released by her management at the time said: “We would like to respectfully announce that due to continuing grief over the tragic loss of her beloved son Shane earlier this year, Sinead O’Connor will not be performing live in 2022.”
The singer’s management added that it was not “an easy decision”, but it was necessary for her “own health and wellbeing”.
The statement continued to thank Sinéad’s worldwide agency ICM, who handled the situation “with the utmost respect and dignity,” and thanked “local and international promoters” for the continued “support and understanding.”
Her management team concluded, “Thank you also to Sinead’s friends and fans whose support and understanding we hold in the highest esteem throughout this period.”
“The love being shown has been a source of great comfort and peace for Sinead.”
Her last public appearance took place back in March, when she was presented with the inaugural award for Classic Irish Album at the RTÉ Choice Music Awards.
Sinéad O’Connor last March.
Via RTE Choice Music. pic.twitter.com/MiYnJqBjIX— Martine St-Victor (@MartineMontreal) July 26, 2023
Sinead received a standing ovation at the event, as she dedicated the award tp “each and every member of Ireland’s refugee community”.
“You’re very welcome in Ireland. I love you very much and I wish you happiness,” she said.
In 2021, the songstress released a memoir called Rememberings.
The following year, a docu-film called Nothing Compares, directed by Kathryn Ferguson, was released about her life.
