Why was Sinéad O’Connor banned from SNL? Lorne Michaels wanted late singer to perform at SNL 50 despite 1992 ban

Lorne Michaels, the creator and producer of Saturday Night Live (SNL), revealed in a recent interview that he would have invited Sinéad O’Connor to perform on the show’s 50th anniversary if she had been alive.

During an interview with Puck, Michaels told the outlet that the singer would have been invited to perform, Nothing Compares 2 U. He said:

“If she were still alive, I would have asked her to sing that song.”

Michael’s statement highlights one of the most controversial moments in SNL history. During her 1992 performance on the show, the infamous singer tore up a picture of Pope John II, her way of protesting the Catholic Church’s alleged cover-up of child sexual abuse. This ultimately led to her being banned from NBC, People magazine reported.

Sinéad O’Connor died in July 2023 at age 56 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma, according to ABC News. Here is what we know about the singer’s controversy.

All we know about Sinead O’Connor’s controversial ban from SNL

Sinéad O’Connor was banned from Saturday Night Live (SNL) after her controversial performance on October 3, 1992.

During that time, instead of choosing one of her own songs, Sinéad O’Connor did an a cappella cover of Bob Marley’s "War" while holding a picture of Pope John Paul II. Toward the end of her performance, she ripped the photo apart. As she tore it, O’Connor stared into the camera and said, “Fight the real enemy.”

Her action was a clear sign of her strong protest against child s*x abuse within the Catholic Church. Immediately after her performance, SNL producer Lorne Michaels ordered the “Applause” sign in the studio to be turned off, silencing the room.

According to TIME magazine, Sinéad O’Connor wrote in her 2021 memoir:

"Everyone wants a pop star, see? But I am a protest singer. I just had stuff to get off my chest. I had no desire for fame."

While giving an interview to People magazine in 2021, she said:

“I had a pretty good feeling. And part to me just as an artist, particularly an Irish artist — there's a tradition in Irish art, particularly among playwrights, there used to be riots in the streets over the plays. This is a tradition in Irish art of the type of, 'Let's see what happens if.' So there was a part of me that was curious to see what would happen.”

Sinéad O’Connor further shared her views on the criticism she faced after her protest. She said:

“I was well aware there would be [backlash]. I understood it, because we joke in Ireland or in Europe that Americans, they don't think anything happened until it happened to them. So I totally understood. I didn't blame anyone.”

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Sinéad O’Connor gained fame in the 1990s through her cover of Prince’s hit song, Nothing Compares 2 U. It was released as a single and was part of her second studio album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Soon after the song's release, her rendition became a global sensation as it topped the charts worldwide.

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