Sinead O'Connor says her mother sexually abused her

Sinead O’Connor has been interviewed by American talk show host Dr. Phil and stated that her “possessed” mother sexually abused her as a child and “ran a torture chamber” in their home.

Speaking to the TV psychologist about her mental health – after she sparked fears for her safety last month when she posted a video to Facebook revealing she is suicidal and living alone in a New Jersey motel – she said her mother Marie O’Connor subjected her to years of physical and sexual abuse.

“She ran a torture chamber. She was a person who took delight in hurting you,” she said.

Marie died in a car crash when the Irish superstar was 19 years old and Sinead has legally changed her name to Magda Davitt, explaining that she wanted to be “free of parental curses”.

During the emotional interview – which will air today (Sept 12) in the United States – the Nothing Compares 2U singer also revealed that her mother tried to damage her reproductive organs, and that her hysterectomy two years ago changed her mental state.

She said: ‘What kicked all of this off was I had a hysterectomy, a radical hysterectomy, in Ireland two years ago, and I lost my mind after that.

“I was told to leave the hospital two days after that with Tylenol and no hormone replacements, and no guidance of what might happen to me. I was flung into surgical menopause and I became suicidal, I was a basket case.

“Also, in some of my abuse as a child, my mother quite regularly was attempting to destroy my reproductive system, so the surgery was very triggering.”

The 50-year-old singer has four children from different relationships and said her child’s father refused to let her see the youngster, despite her cry for help in the Facebook video.

“I rang one of the fathers of my children, who happened to be five miles away from me in New York at the time with my ten-year-old child and wouldn’t bring him to see me.”

But she added she has “given as good as she got” in her feud with her family.

She said: “Obviously I want to be really careful because I love my family and I don’t blame them. It’s not easy for families of mentally ill people, we can be difficult.

“I don’t want to make out like I’m a victim here, I gave as good as I got. I was an asshole to my family.”

Sinead also admitted to Dr. Phil that she had tried to kill herself eight times in the last year, and speaking to Jimmy Kimmel Live! about her appearance on his show, Phil explained why she deperately needed to do the interview.

He said: “You’ve seen her video she’s posted on Facebook and all, from motel rooms in New Jersey. She really has had a difficult time, and she said, ‘Look, I’m in trouble. I need help.’ And she called. She said, ‘I want to de-stigmatize mental illness; I clearly have a problem… Too many musicians are dying. I want to use my life, be a teaching tool. I’m willing to sit down and talk.'”

Sinead has since thanked Dr. Phil for having her on his show, writing on Facebook: “You really are not quite human you know. You’re a proper real live angel. I knew that from the gold in your eyes. And from the size of your huge heart. One day I hope to be an angel too. I promise I won’t let you down.”