LONDON (AP) 鈥 A wax figure of Sin茅ad O鈥機onnor that did not compare to how the late singer looked caused a minor meltdown among fans and family members, leading a Dublin museum on Friday to pull it from its collection.
The 春色直播 Wax Museum Plus apologized 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 鈥淣othing Compares 2 U.鈥
John O'Connor said it was a 鈥渉ideous鈥 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.
鈥淲hen I saw it online yesterday I was shocked," he told Irish broadcaster RTE. 鈥淚 thought it looked something between a mannequin and something out of the 鈥楾hunderbirds.鈥欌
The museum had unveiled the figure Thursday in honor of the first . O'Connor, 56, died in her London home of July 26, 2023.
O鈥機onnor, 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.
Fans filled the street of her former in August following a private service attended by then-Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, President Michael Higgins and musical luminaries such as Bono of U2 and Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats.
Accurately capturing the likeness of celebrities has famously tripped up many an artist.
A Polish wax museum was ridiculed last year for what some called creepy depictions of Kate, the Princess of Wales, and her husband, Prince William. A sculptor mocked for his bronze of Portuguese soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo went back to his studio a do-over that was more warmly received.
Likewise, U.S. women's soccer star Brandi Chastain where she was compared to looking like actors Gary Busey and Mickey Rooney, and former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Paddy Dunning, the Dublin museum鈥檚 director who called O'Connor a longtime friend, said she deserved a better tribute.
鈥淚n response to the public鈥檚 feedback regarding the wax figure, we acknowledge that the current representation did not meet our high standards or the expectations of Sinead鈥檚 devoted fans,鈥 the museum said in a statement.
John O'Connor said he was upset by the timing of the unveiling and the fact that no one had contacted his family.
鈥淎s 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: 鈥業s this all right?鈥欌
