Open letter penned by Sinead O’Connor to Miley Cyrus in 2013 goes viral

An open letter written by Sinead O’Connor to Miley Cyrus has gone viral following the Irish music legend’s death aged 56.

The Nothing Compares 2 U singer and the American popstar fell out in 2013 after Cyrus told Rolling Stone magazine her video for Wrecking Ball was inspired by O’Connor’s famous track.

Cyrus’s famous video sees the star in various stages of undress riding on a wrecking ball. In some scenes, she is seen crying into the camera while singing, much like the video for Nothing Compares 2 U.

In response to the article, O’Connor wrote publicly to Cyrus, warning her of the dangers of the music industry and how “nothing but harm will come in the long run from allowing yourself to be exploited”.

In the letter, which was originally published on her website, O’Connor wrote: “I wasn’t going to write this letter, but today I’ve been dodging phone calls from various newspapers who wished me to remark upon your having said in Rolling Stone your Wrecking Ball video was designed to be similar to the one for Nothing Compares.

“So this is what I need to say … And it is said in the spirit of motherliness and with love.

“I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way ‘cool’ to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos.

“It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether its the music business or yourself doing the pimping.

“Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent.”

In the powerful letter, O’Connor continued: “The music business doesn’t give a shit about you, or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think it’s what YOU wanted … and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, ‘they’ will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.

She completed the letter with the lines: “Whether we like it or not, us females in the industry are role models and as such we have to be extremely careful what messages we send to other women.

“The message you keep sending is that its somehow cool to be prostituted … it’s so not cool Miley … its dangerous. Women are to be valued for so much more than their sexuality.”

At the time, Cyrus didn’t react well to the letter – comparing O’Connor to the troubled star Amanda Bynes, who has had several mental health episodes.

On social media, Cyrus also re-shared pictures of the star in 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on US TV show Saturday Night Live, sparking a ferocious backlash.

O’Connor then penned several follow-up letters, and even threatened legal action against Cyrus.

However, later that year Cyrus seemed to call a truce with the star, saying on The Today Show that the spat “didn’t really matter” and it was “all good”.

In recent interview, Cyrus told Vogue how she “carried some guilt and shame around myself for years” as a result of the Wrecking Ball and VMAs twerking controversies.

The letter being re-circulated comes as hundreds of fans paid tributes to the late singer on both sides of the Irish Sea on Thursday night following her shock death.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Irish rock band U2 paid tribute to the singer.

“Touch these eyes with a broken smile, Touch my mouth with your furrowed brow, Lift my heart, heal my shame , Lead me into rest again ... Heroine.. Rest In Peace Sinéad,” they wrote.

Musician Peter Gabriel, with whom she worked closely, described her as “an extraordinary talent”.

He said: “She could move us with a candour and a passion with which so many people connected. The path she chose was always difficult and uncompromising, but at every turn she would show her spirit and her courage.

“I feel lucky to have had the chance to work with her.”

O’Connor died on Thursday aged 56.

The Grammy-winning singer, originally from Dublin, was found unresponsive at a home in south London on Wednesday.