Sinéad O’Connor’s death certificate has confirmed she died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma, the Irish Independent and The Guardian reported on Sunday.
The Irish singer-songwriter, who died almost exactly a year ago at age 56, was also suffering from a respiratory tract infection at the time of her death, according to the Irish Independent, which first reported the news.
Her first husband, John Reynolds, who remained a friend, reportedly registered the death certificate in Lambeth, London, last Wednesday.
The document said O’Connor died of an “exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma together with low grade lower respiratory tract infection,” according to the reports.
The Southwark Coroners Court told HuffPost on Monday that O’Connor “died of natural causes” and the coroner had ceased its involvement in her death. It declined to comment further.
A representative of the Lambeth Register Office told HuffPost it was unable to confirm the details of the death certificate.
O’Connor, who changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat in 2018 after converting to Islam, died on July 26, 2023, at her home in London.
Her son Shane O’Connor died in early 2022 at the age of 17.
Best known for her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and her trademark shaven-head look, the singer became globally successful in 1990, earning the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her death sparked an outpouring of love and tributes from around the world.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s prime minister at the time, said “her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.”
O’Connor was also known for her outspoken stances about social and political issues. In 1992, she famously drew major backlash when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a “Saturday Night Live” appearance. She later explained it was a statement against child abuse in the Catholic Church, which she had experienced personally.