Dolores O’Riordan — who found both fame and controversy as the lead singer of popular ’90s band The Cranberries — drowned in the bathtub of her London hotel room as the result of alcohol intoxication. The 46-year-old singer had been staying at the Hilton Hotel when her body was discovered on Jan. 15. Five miniature alcohol bottles, a bottle of champagne, and bottles of prescription drugs were near the bath. Coroner Shirley Radcliffe said at an inquest that “there’s no evidence that this was anything other than an accident.” Sadly, Dolores joined the ranks of celebrity overdoses after a long struggle with success after “Zombie” became a worldwide hit for the band in 1994. She later spoke out about her tragic history of sexual molestation and suicide attempts — but her troubles overshadowed The Cranberries’ reputation even as the band sold over 40 million records. Her erratic behavior and skeletal build also sparked rumors of an eating disorder, with her later admitting: “It was only later, when I saw pictures of myself, that I realized how terrible I looked.”
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After The Cranberries' first broke up in 2003, a former nanny accused Dolores and her then-husband Dan Burton of false imprisonment. The nanny lost a lawsuit, except for one small settlement. Dolores had a brief comeback when
Adam Sandler had her perform the Cranberries' hit "Linger" in his 2006 film "Click" — but the self-described "extreme person" only made it through a single season of Ireland's version of "The Voice."
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The mother-of-four finally went public with a diagnosis of being bipolar in May 2017 — after pleading guilty to attacking flight attendants and crew members on an Aer Lingus flight in 2014. The court case would later harm Dolores' reputation, even though a judge dismissed all charges after she agreed to make a donation to charity, in addition to apologizing in writing to her victims.
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One police inspector who responded to the call testified: "Ms O'Riordan was very belligerent. She said, 'You are not going to arrest me. I am an icon. I'm the Queen of Limerick! I pay my taxes, I pay your wages. I'm going to sue you.'" Dolores announced her bipolar diagnosis while planning a new comeback with The Cranberries — and was planning to record in London when she suddenly passed away.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
The announcement finally puts an end to months of rumors, with the coroner's office originally set to announce the ruling on Dolores' cause of death on April 3 — before suddenly changing the date for Sept. 6. Dolores had said in December that she was finally "feeling good" after suffering a painful back injury in 2017 — adding that The Cranberries had "performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York."
After The Cranberries' first broke up in 2003, a former nanny accused Dolores and her then-husband Dan Burton of false imprisonment. The nanny lost a lawsuit, except for one small settlement. Dolores had a brief comeback when
Adam Sandler had her perform the Cranberries' hit "Linger" in his 2006 film "Click" — but the self-described "extreme person" only made it through a single season of Ireland's version of "The Voice."
Photo credit: Getty Images
The mother-of-four finally went public with a diagnosis of being bipolar in May 2017 — after pleading guilty to attacking flight attendants and crew members on an Aer Lingus flight in 2014. The court case would later harm Dolores' reputation, even though a judge dismissed all charges after she agreed to make a donation to charity, in addition to apologizing in writing to her victims.
Photo credit: Getty Images
One police inspector who responded to the call testified: "Ms O'Riordan was very belligerent. She said, 'You are not going to arrest me. I am an icon. I'm the Queen of Limerick! I pay my taxes, I pay your wages. I'm going to sue you.'" Dolores announced her bipolar diagnosis while planning a new comeback with The Cranberries — and was planning to record in London when she suddenly passed away.
Photo credit: Getty Images
The announcement finally puts an end to months of rumors, with the coroner's office originally set to announce the ruling on Dolores' cause of death on April 3 — before suddenly changing the date for Sept. 6. Dolores had said in December that she was finally "feeling good" after suffering a painful back injury in 2017 — adding that The Cranberries had "performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York."
Photo credit: Getty Images
