Troubled singer Sinead O'Connor has opened up about the alleged abuse her mother subjected her to as a child and her mental health struggles in an explosive new TV interview.
The Nothing Compares 2 U hitmaker sat down with TV self-help guru Dr. Phil McGraw for a chat and thanked him for taking the time to listen to her in the weeks after she posted a tearful 12-minute video, in which she talked about battling suicidal thoughts, on Facebook last month (Aug17).
In the interview, which will air on the new season premiere of Dr. Phil next week (12Sep17), O'Connor opens up to McGraw about the alleged abuse she experienced as a child, claiming her mother "ran a torture chamber".
"She was a person who would delight and smile in torturing you," Sinead says.
The singer also alleges her mother Marie, who died in a car crash when Sinead was 19, also sexually abused her, and goes on to state she is planning to make a big change in her life by changing her name.
"Sinead O'Connor is gone," she says. "That person's gone."
The TV chat also covers the state of O'Connor's mental health, which has come into question and concerned family, friends and fans in recent years following a series of personal dramas and bizarre posts online, which have prompted many to believe Sinead is close to ending her life. She tells McGraw she tried to kill herself eight times in one year.
"For you to have the courage to candidly and openly talk about this gives others the courage to come forward and seek the help they need," Dr. Phil tells her during a teaser for the TV interview.
