Mitch Winehouse, father of the late British singer Amy Winehouse, has been ordered to pay £950,000 (approximately US$1.26m) to Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay. Deputy High Court Judge Sarah Clarke KC ruled that Mr Winehouse knowingly and deliberately made unfounded allegations against the two women.
The ruling concludes a High Court case in London brought by Mr Winehouse against the friends, who had auctioned dozens of items belonging to the singer after her death. The 155 items sold between 2021 and 2023 included clothes, ballet slippers, handbags, earrings, makeup, and a dress worn during her final tour in 2011.
In addition to the damages, Mr Winehouse has been ordered to pay the friends’ legal costs on an indemnity basis. He must make the payments to Ms Parry and Ms Gourlay within the next two weeks.
Context of the dispute
The legal battle follows the death of Amy Winehouse at age 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning in July 2011. During the proceedings, Judge Sarah Clarke noted that the singer was known for her extraordinary generosity towards her friends and also those she barely knew.
Janis Winehouse, the singer’s mother, reflected on her daughter’s struggles in an interview. She stated: 'She was a victim of her own success... She didn’t want it, but it just followed her. And she’d be like, “Who, me?”' She also added: 'She didn’t have confidence. Hence the alcohol. I think it’s the same with many, many addicts with alcohol. The alcohol takes away the pain. And that is a horrible thing with addiction.'