Then Sinead O’Connor tore up a photo of the Pope Saturday evening live in 1992 to draw attention to child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, almost everyone turned their backs on her. She was banned for life by NBC, belittled by late-night comedians, often in painfully misogynistic ways, and even threatened with violence by Frank Sinatra. The only person who came to her aid in the days that followed was Kris Kristofferson. Kristofferson died Saturday at the age of 88.

In her 2021 memoir, Memories: scenes from my complicated lifeO’Connor wrote about the immediate aftermath of the incident in the NBC studio where SNL has been included. “Total stunned silence in the audience,” she wrote. “And when I walk backstage, there is literally not a soul in sight. All doors are closed. Everyone has disappeared. Including my own manager, who locks himself in his room for three days and unplugs his phone.”

As she left the studio, two young men chased her down the street and threw eggs at her. It wasn’t long before everyone from Madonna to Sinatra was publicly criticizing O’Connor. “This must be a stupid girl,” Sinatra told the audience at a show in New Jersey. ‘I’d beat her up if she were a man. She has to beat her kids to stay in shape.”

Just 13 days after the SNL During the broadcast, O’Connor was booked to perform at Bob Dylan’s 30th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden, part of an incredible program that included George Harrison, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Stevie Wonder, Roger McGuinn, the band, Eric Clapton, Tracy Chapman, Chrissie Hynde and Lou Reed.

Early in the evening, Kristofferson came out to introduce O’Connor. “I am very proud to introduce this next artist whose name has become synonymous with courage and integrity,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, Sinead O’Connor.” As you can see in this video, a groundswell of boos filled Madison Square Garden from the moment she took the stage. The band finally started with Dylan’s 1979 classic “I Believe in You,” but they were overwhelmed by the boos. Kristofferson came out to whisper some words of encouragement in her ear and the band tried again, but O’Connor signaled for them to stop. She then sang part of Bob Marley’s ‘War’, just as she had done SNLbefore running off stage and into Kristofferson’s arms.

Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready came out next and won the crowd back with a chilling rendition of “Masters of War” and the evening passed without incident. But it was a sign that the public would never forgive O’Connor, who died in 2023, for the SNL controversy and a moment of incredible courage for Kristofferson.