Share and Follow
There are countless celebrity rows every year, but this one from 2013 is, without a doubt, one of the most surprising. The fact is, aside from being two very talented singers, Sinead O’Connor and Miley Cyrus have very little in common. Especially back then, before Miley decided to explore the rock and roll world. In 2013, she was one of the greatest pop stars in the world, a genre one doesn’t associate with the Irish singer.
But even before she stepped out of the pop music world, Sinead was an inspiration to Miley, and somehow that admiration was what sparked this unusual feud that escalated very quickly and then seemingly died down as soon as it had started.
Miley Cyrus Might Have Been Inspired By Sinead O’Connor
It all started when, in her video for the hit song “Wrecking Ball”, Miley Cyrus decided to pay tribute to Sinead O’Connor, making a reference to her timelessly famous video for the song “Nothing Compares 2 U” where the singer looks directly to the camera as she sings, and a single tear falls down her cheek.
Apparently, Sinead was not too happy about it. Or rather, her reaction was unexpected, because when she watched the video, instead of feeling proud of having inspired it, she felt growing concern for the younger singer’s safety.
So she decided to write an open letter to Miley “in the spirit of motherliness and with love.”
Sinead O’Connor’s Worries Might Have Come From Different Times
Sinead O’Connor was 46 at the time she wrote the open letter, and as most readers will know, she had her biggest successes in the 1990s. At the time, by her own admission, she was exposed to not-so-great experiences, and when reading the letter it sounds like the things she expresses concern about come from different times. Of course, young women are still vulnerable these days, but times have changed, and so have social rules about what is and isn’t acceptable.
In her letter, Sinead wrote “I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way ‘cool’ to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether it’s the music business or yourself doing the pimping.”
Clearly, she was concerned that Miley was somehow being coerced into showing herself naked, and added that “Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent.”
She also warned her about the people behind the scenes in the music industry, seemingly very alarmed about the idea that Miley was too naive to see through them. “The music business doesn’t give a s**t about you, or any of us. They will [exploit] you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think it’s what YOU wanted… and when you end up in rehab as a result of being [exploited], ‘they’ will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.”
Read Related Also: Nick Cannon, Abby De La Rosa Celebrate Twin’s Birthday: Pics
None of this seems like a purposely hurtful attack, but one can imagine that Miley was not thrilled to wake up and find that just her saying she loved Sinead’s music ended with a public lecture.
Sinead was probably genuinely worried about a talented young woman being taken advantage of, but many people would agree that she went about it the wrong way by essentially scolding her on the news.
The open letter was a surprise to everyone, especially Miley, who had never expected her small tribute to one of her influences would cause such a fuss. She didn’t stay quiet, but in her rage, Miley might have crossed the line.
Sinead O’Connor has, for years, struggled with mental health issues, and she never tried to hide them. At the time of the feud, she had tweeted asking for help and guidance on psychiatric resources and where to find mental health aid, since, according to her, it was very difficult to access those resources in Ireland. 2013 was also the year actress Amanda Bynes had a mental breakdown and was placed in a psychiatric facility by her family.
Miley screenshotted Sinead’s tweets asking for help and posted them with the caption “Before Amanda Bynes… There was…” She followed up by posting a picture of the time the Irish singer tore a photo of the Pope on Saturday Night Live while protesting child abuse in the church, an action that almost cost her her entire career.
Many people were upset by this, assuming Miley was taking a jab at Sinead (and dragging Amanda into things).
Are Miley Cyrus And Sinead O’Connor On Good Terms Today?
Miley later explained her thoughts on the matter and said she’s still a big fan of Sinead’s.
“I think she’s an incredible artist, I think she’s an awesome songwriter, and I was really inspired by her for my ‘Wrecking Ball’ video, which was what started the whole thing. I don’t know how someone can start a fight with somebody who said, ‘Hey, I really respect you. And I really love what you did.’ ‘You know what? You suck! I don’t like you!’ That was kind of crazy. But as I said, I’m a big fan of hers, so it doesn’t really matter. It’s all good.”
The feud seems to have ended there, and while both sides messed up at some point, things between the two singers are apparently OK, since in her 2022 tour Miley sang a mashup of “Wrecking Ball” and “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
