A wax figure of Sinead O’Connor that did not compare to how the late singer looked caused a minor meltdown among fans and family members, leading a Dublin museum to pull it from its display after just one day.
The National Wax Museum Plus apologised to O’Connor’s family and said it would immediately begin creating a more accurate representation of the singer, best known for her 1990 cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U”.
John O’Connor said it was a “hideous” representation of his sister that looked like a cross between something in a department store window display and a 1960s sci-fi TV show that used electronic puppets.
“When I saw it online yesterday I was shocked,” he told Irish broadcaster RTE. “I thought it looked something between a mannequin and something out of the Thunderbirds.”
O’Connor, who became a controversial figure after she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1992, was considered a national treasure in Ireland, where she had started out performing on the streets of Dublin.
Accurately capturing the likeness of celebrities has famously tripped up many an artist.
Likewise, US women’s soccer star Brandi Chastain got a replacement for a panned plaque where she was compared to actors Gary Busey and Mickey Rooney, and former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Paddy Dunning, the Dublin museum’s director who called O’Connor a long-time friend, said she deserved a better tribute.
“In response to the public’s feedback regarding the wax figure, we acknowledge that the current representation did not meet our high standards or the expectations of Sinead’s devoted fans,” the museum said.
John O’Connor said he was upset by the timing of the unveiling and the fact that no one had contacted his family.
“As I said earlier, the world may have lost a star, and they did, but I lost my sister,” he said. “It just should not have been put there even without checking with somebody: ‘Is this all right?’”