Amy Winehouse‘s dad suffered a loss in court after suing the late singer’s friends who auctioned off her clothes for over $1 million.
A judge dismissed Mitch Winehouse‘s lawsuit against Amy’s friends on Monday, April 20, years after they sold $1.2 million worth of her wardrobe. Mitch, 75, claimed that Amy’s friends Catriona Gourlay and Naomi Parry weren’t allowed to part with items without his knowledge. They previously sold the items at auctions in 2021 and 2023.
Parry and Gourlay, meanwhile, argued that all 141 items they sold — including the silk dress the performer wore at her final show in Serbia — were items that belonged to them or were given to them before Amy’s death at age 27 in 2011.
Amy’s father, who is the administrator of his daughter’s estate, claimed Parry and Gourlay “deliberately concealed” the sales.
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“Mr. Winehouse is clearly a strong character but also someone who has suffered a great tragedy in the loss of his daughter. Since Amy’s death he has worked hard to keep her memory alive,” Judge Sarah Clarke stated on Monday. “It is also the case that Amy’s Estate … has made Mr. Winehouse personally extremely wealthy.”
The judge continued: “Mr. Winehouse is therefore understandably sensitive about anyone who he perceives as exploiting Amy’s memory, particularly for financial gain, and he is keen to promote the [Amy Winehouse Foundation], but also in my judgment, he is equally sensitive about ensuring that the family continue to benefit financially.”
Clarke stated that Mitch previously participated in the 2021 auction where all the proceeds were meant to go to Amy Winehouse Foundation. He “changed his mind” by the time the event took place and requested 30 percent of proceeds go to the foundation and the remaining 70 percent go to the estate.
“The evidence shows that in addition to Mr. Winehouse’s many good qualities, he likes to dominate people and situations and expects people to do what he wants,” Clarke continued.
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The judge went on to point out Amy was “known to be extremely generous to her friends,” which resulted in her often giving away her possessions. This ultimately played a role in the judge dismissing the case against Parry and Gourlay.
According to court documents obtained by People, Mitch allegedly offered Parry $250,000 in exchange for what she’d earned from the auction and to “make this all go away.” Parry, for her part, allegedly told Mitch she’d “rather set the money on fire than give him a penny.”
Parry broke her silence in a video statement shared via Instagram on Monday where she expressed gratitude that the court had “cleared my name, unequivocally and in full after years of deeply damaging and unfounded allegations brought by Mitch Winehouse.”
“I stood beside Amy as a friend, a creative partner and her costume designer,” Parry, who worked with Amy from 2006 until her death, added. “What we shared was built on trust, loyalty and a genuine love of the work. To see that relationship misrepresented so publicly has been both painful and profoundly unjust. This judgment restores the truth.”
