Dublin museum apologizes & pulls “hideous” Sinéad O’Connor wax figure following outcry
We lost Sinéad O’Connor one year ago today (7/26), and Dublin’s National Wax Museum Plus unveiled a new wax figure in her honor. People had some… opinions… about it:
The new Sinead O’Connor wax work looks like they just found an old mannequin in a skip and said, yep that will do.
The absolute hack of it. pic.twitter.com/38L54uNKny— Caolán Mc Aree (@Caolanmcaree) July 25, 2024
Also, for some reason they put the wax Sinéad with the Star Wars figures.
Museum director Paddy Dunning told Irish Examiner, “We put her as a serious artist, in that period of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U,’ which was an emotional scene, an emotional video. I think it touched everybody’s hearts — somebody crying literally a real tear.”
Among those who disapproved of the figure is Sinéad’s brother, John O’Connor, who told RTÉ “it looked nothing like her, I thought it was hideous.” He also said he was “shocked” when he first saw it, saying it resembled something “between a mannequin and something out of the Thunderbirds.”
Following the criticism, Dunning apologized and said they’d be pulling the figure. A statement from the museum said that they “acknowledge that the current representation did not meet our high standards or the expectations of Sinead’s devoted fans. We have listened closely to the reactions and agree that the figure does not fully capture Sinéad’s unique presence and essence as we intended.”
“We deeply appreciate the public’s love for Sinéad and share in their admiration for her remarkable career and contributions,” they continued, adding that they plan to commission a new figure that portrays her “true spirit and iconic image.”