Nicholas Sommerlad Is an Investigations Editor Facts about Sinad O'Connor's Ex-husband

Late singer Sinéad O'Connor had many whirlwind romances that often ended after a short time. Nicholas Sommerlad was among her former flames, with whom she fell in love at first sight. The pair married only months later but separated less than a year after.

In late July 2023, news emerged that longtime singer Sinéad O'Connor had passed. The cause of her death wasn't revealed, but her family released a statement expressing deep sorrow over their loss.

They requested privacy "at this very difficult time." Sinéad O'Connor was born on December 8, 1966. She was 56 when she died. The singer was raised Catholic and had a difficult upbringing, with her parents divorcing when she was eight.

Sinead O'Connor poses at her home on February 3, 2012, in County Wicklow, Republic Of Ireland. | Source: Getty Images

She stayed with her mother, whom she said was physically abusive. Her mother died in a car accident when she was 19. O'Connor joined the music industry in her early 20s, releasing her debut album, "The Lion and the Cobra," in 1987.

She rose to global fame with the ballad "Nothing Compares 2 U" (originally written by Prince) in 1990. As her music career earned her stardom, O'Connor became a controversial figure, but she also frequently sought love. She once found it with Nicholas Sommerlad, but their romance ended in heartbreak.

Sinead O'Connor on stage at the Olympic Ballroom on March 4, 1988. | Source: Getty Images

Sinéad O'Connor Had Declared Herself Gay Before She Married Nicholas Sommerlad

O'Connor and Sommerlad met in February 2001 at a concert on Frances Street in Dublin. A mutual friend introduced them, as Sommerlad revealed a few months later, "A journalist friend of mine and hers introduced us. We have been going out since February."

It was said to be love at first sight. News broke that Sommerlad proposed that June. The journalist confirmed they were getting married but kept the wedding details private. "I am delighted, and so is she," he said.

The former couple tied the knot at Angelsea, Wales. Before beginning a relationship with Sommerlad, O'Connor had declared herself a gay woman while appearing on an American talk show. However, she was only ever publicly linked to men afterward.

Sinead O'Connor attends 'Che Tempo Che Fa' Italian Tv Show on October 5, 2014, in Milan, Italy. | Source: Getty Images

Sinéad O'Connor and Nicholas Sommerlad Kept Their Separation Quiet

O'Connor and Sommerlad ended their relationship in July 2002, after what was said to be 11 months of marriage. A source close to the singer revealed the separation the following year, claiming that O'Connor said she would never marry again.

She declined to comment on the matter, but the insider said she and Sommerlad were devastated by the end of their romance. "They were so hurt that for a long time, they kept up a pretense and denied any parting," the source said.

The source added that the former couple still loved each other but could no longer live together. The former couple had stayed in a house in Monkstown, Dublin, but soon realized they were increasingly incompatible. It's unclear when, but they eventually divorced on amicable terms.

Sinead O'Connor posed at her home on February 3, 2012, in County Wicklow, Republic Of Ireland. | Source: Getty Images

Nicholas Sommerlad Is an Investigations Editor

Sommerlad's LinkedIn page doesn't disclose his educational background but shows he has worked for the Daily Mirror for nearly 18 years. He joined the publication as an Investigative Journalist in 2006.

In 2013, he became the Chief Investigative Reporter before being promoted to Investigations Editor the following year. Before working with the Daily Mirror, he had left the Irish Mirror "in fury" in June 2002.

The Irish Mirror had published a story about O'Connor's former partner John Waters, with whom she had a daughter, Roison Waters, embroiled in a libel case with the Sunday Times. An insider claimed Sommerlad, who is distantly related to Queen Silvia of Sweden, felt "betrayed" and "angered" by the publication's coverage of the case.

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