The bizarre showbiz feud between Miley Cyrus and Irish singer Sinead O’Connor kicked up a gear Friday morning, with O’Connor threatening to call in the lawyers after Cyrus posted a series of tweets that O’Connor wrote when she was having a nervous breakdown. Cyrus mocked O’Connor’s mental-health difficulties by comparing her to Amanda Bynes.
The row began when O'Connor wrote a “loving” and “motherly” open letter to the young star Thursday warning Cyrus that being “naked and licking sledgehammers” in her videos would end up destroying her career and that she was being “prostituted” by her record label.
Bam!
Her remarks were prompted by Cyrus referencing O’Connor’s shaven-headed look in the seminal “Nothing Compares 2 U” video as an inspiration for her own short crop in her “Wrecking Ball” video.
O’Connor wrote: “You also said in Rolling Stone that your look is based on mine. The look I chose, I chose on purpose at a time when my record company were encouraging me to do what you have done. I felt I would rather be judged on my talent and not my looks. I am happy that I made that choice, not least because I do not find myself on the proverbial rag heap now that I am almost 47 yrs of age, which unfortunately many female artists who have based their image around their sexuality end up on when they reach middle age.”
However, after reading the remarks, Cyrus tweeted a screenshot of a series of O’Connor’s tweets from two years ago with the comment, “Before Amanda Bynes...There was...”
Among the tweets Cyrus posted were some of O’Connor saying she urgently needed to see a psychiatrist.
Kapow!The 20-year-old singer then tweeted a picture of O’Connor’s controversial appearance on Saturday Night Live, when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II.
Oof!
O’Connor then responded with a short message on Facebook, writing: “Ms Cyrus has today posted tweets of mine which are two years old and which were sent when I was ill and seeking medical help. She has done this in an attempt to deliberately cause me harm and hurt. I wish to confirm that I am quite well and kindly request people cease e-mailing me in the mistaken belief these are recent tweets. Ms Cyrus’ lawyers will be contacted by mine regarding this matter.
“I confirm also that I do not at all support or condone the abuse or mockery of those who have been brave enough to openly discuss mental health issues. Mockery causes deaths. Period. It is an unacceptable form of bullying, no matter who it is doing the bullying.”
Blam!
Cyrus replied in a series of snarky tweets:
Ouch!
On Friday morning, O’Connor issued a riposte (please note her website is having trouble keeping up with the traffic) in which she appealed to Cyrus to take “five minutes between g-string changes” to delete the offending tweets.
“I have no interest whatsoever in meeting you. You had plenty of time yesterday to abuse Amanda Bynes...an entirely innocent party...and myself...who also did nothing to deserve your abuse.”
“When you end up in the psych ward or rehab I’ll be happy to visit you...and would not lower myself to mock you.
“Your hosting SNL is a bulls*** reason for not taking five minutes to do the right thing and your behaviour yesterday will rebound upon you very badly.”O’Connor added that Cyrus wouldn’t mock her idol, Britney Spears, for her documented mental-health difficulties several years ago.
“How do you feel when your friend Britney Spears is mocked and humiliated for having had mental health problems? I know I personally want to bash those who treat her that way.”
“If she is your friend and more importantly if you are a true friend to her...you ought apologise for joining those who mock and humiliate women who have been too nice frankly, to manage the music business without sensibly losing their minds.”She closed the letter by saying: “Soon it will be you who will be the media ‘crazy’...and you will not enjoy it...and you will appreciate people (like myself) standing up for you. Which I will be happy to do...if you earn my respect today by apologising publicly.”
Wham! (OK, so I admit, I'm in danger running out of onomatopoeiac fight words here).
Social media really has enhanced showbiz feuds, hasn’t it?