Sinead O'Connor Denies Report of Suicidal Threat That Prompted Alert From Chicago Police

Confusion ensued when a man threatening to jump from a bridge was coincidentally rescued over the Kennedy Expressway Thursday afternoon

Sinead O'Connor has denied reports that she threatened to jumped from a bridge, saying she's too "happy for that."

Chicago police urged officers Thursday afternoon to be on the lookout for the Irish singer after they received a call from police in Ireland saying O'Connor, who disappeared briefly in May before turning up in the Chicago suburbs, had threatened suicide, authorities said.

Irish authorities reported that O'Connor had contacted her family to say she was suicidal.

Chicago police instructed all officers to keep an eye out for the celebrity, who may have threatened to jump from a bridge in the city, according to police.

Police said the bulletin was sent "out of an abundance of caution" and there was not an active search underway for O'Connor.

Confusion ensued when, coincidentally, a man in his 50s threatened to jump from a bridge over the Kennedy Expressway at Armitage. Traffic was halted, and he was rescued shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday.

O'Connor wrote in a profanity-laced Facebook post early Friday morning, however, that claims she was going to jump off a bridge were not true and accused someone of trying to spread "false and malicious gossip." 

O'Connor last made headlines when she vanished from north suburban Wilmette after leaving for a bike ride at 6 a.m. on May 15, prompting a manhunt. 

She was found safe the next day at the Best Western hotel in Morton Grove, according to a friend, where several police cars and an ambulance had been spotted.

A close friend of the singer told NBC 5 that O'Connor left Ireland in January amid a medical and personal crisis, and has since been staying with friends in the Chicagoland area. 

O'Connor previously sparked concern in November after posting what appeared to be a suicidal note on the same Facebook page. The 49-year-old Irish singer has battled depression and attempted to take her own life before.

The singer has spoken candidly about her mental health issues in the past and had told Oprah Winfrey in 2007 that she attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday in 1999. In 2011, O'Connor received a visit from police after tweeting what appeared to be a suicidal rant.


If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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