Sinead O'Connor has no regrets about tearing up the Pope's photo on 'SNL' to protest abuse in the church
- Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on "SNL" in 1992.
- Speaking to The New York Times, O'Connor called the move both "brilliant" and "traumatizing."
- She has previously said she tore up the photo to protest abuse in the Catholic Church.
Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor says she has no regrets about tearing up a picture of Pope John Paul II during a performance on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1990s.
Speaking to The New York Times, O'Connor called the move - which she did to protest abuse in the Catholic Church - both "brilliant" and "traumatizing."
The incident happened on an "SNL" episode in 1992, when O'Connor tore up a picture of the then-Pope during a performance of Bob Marley's "War," and told the audience to "Fight the real enemy."
The move sparked immediate backlash and criticism of the performer. But reflecting on the moment, O'Connor told The Times that she wasn't sorry she tore up the photo, saying it didn't ruin her career but instead was freeing.
However, O'Connor acknowledged the withering backlash she received.
"It was open season on treating me like a crazy b----," she said.