Her estate made the demand on behalf of the singer, who died in July 2023. (Getty/Getty)
Sinéad O’Connor’s estate has demanded that Donald Trump stops using her music at his campaign events.
Trump allegedly used her version of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at some of his campaign events ahead of the 2024 United States elections, which went against her “fierce moral code”, according to her estate and longtime record label, Chrysalis Records.
They released a joint statement on 4 March on behalf of the Irish singer, who passed away in July 2023. “Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O’Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards her fellow human beings,” the statement began.
“It was with outrage therefore that we learned that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at his political rallies. It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil’.
“As the guardians of her legacy, we demand that Donald Trump, and his associates desist from using her music immediately,” the statement concluded.
PinkNews has contacted a representative of Donald Trump for a comment on the matter.
O’Connor was hailed as an LGBTQ+ icon after being exiled from mainstream pop stardom when she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1993, in protest against child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community had long since stood by O’Connor, both in admiration of her fearlessness and in solidarity with her as someone who was ostracised for living what she believed.
Speaking to PinkNews, Kathryn Ferguson – the director being O’Connor’s documentary, Nothing Compares – explained why she believes O’Connor’s affinity with the queer community ran so deep.
“She was an absolute ally. From the very get-go, when she was a teenager arriving in London in the late 80s, the community that she immersed herself in was the queer community,” Ferguson said.
“It was [filmmakers] John Maybury, it was Jerry Stafford. It was this amazing bunch of incredible creative souls. She was a huge HIV activist – anytime she got the chance to speak about the crisis, she did.”