Amy Winehouse’s dad loses suit against friends for selling clothes
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The father of music superstar Amy Winehouse on Monday lost a United Kingdomw (UK) lawsuit he brought against two of her friends, who auctioned some of her clothes years after her death.
The late singer’s former stylist Naomi Parry and her friend Catriona Gourlay sold dozens of items, including a black Armani bag and dresses Winehouse wore on her last tour in June 2011.
The court was told in a trial that they “took advantage” of her father’s forgetfulness and pocketed some £730,000 (US$979,000) in sales.
Both denied acting dishonestly and said the items had been given or lent to them by the singer, even if there was no proof.
But Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse, sued the pair, alleging they did not have the right to sell the items, which were auctioned between November 2021 and May 2023 by Los Angeles-based auctioneers.
Judge Sarah Clarke said in her written judgement that she found that “neither Ms Parry nor Ms Gourlay deliberately concealed any of their disputed items from the claimant”.
“Even if I am wrong about that, Mr Winehouse could have discovered what disputed items the defendants had with reasonable diligence,” she added.
Dismissing the case, the judge ruled that the 155 items, including ballet slippers, dresses, handbags, earrings and make-up were owned by the two women or gifted to them.
A few were described as “abandoned by Amy” therefore her father “has no ownership nor immediate right to possession”.
Singer-songwriter Winehouse, who enjoyed meteoric global success, died in July 2011 from alcohol poisoning, aged just 27.
She was a distinctive figure with her beehive hairdo, heavy black eye makeup, multiple tattoos and smoky voice.
She shot to international fame with her Grammy Award-winning 2006 album Back to Black, which included the track Rehab, charting her battle with addiction.
According to court documents, her father believed any sums collected from the sales organised by Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions would be due to him and the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
The foundation is a charity set up in the singer’s name working with young people to foster hope and self-reliance.
