Amy Winehouse Father's Attempt to Sue Friends Over Sold Items Fails as Court Says They Were Gifts

The father ofAmy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse, has lost a High Court claim against two of his daughter's closest friends over the sale of her personal belongings.

A judge ruled on Monday that items sold at auction by stylist Naomi Parry and friend Catriona Gourlay were likely gifts from the late singer.

Mitch Winehouse brought the legal action as the administrator of Amy's estate. He alleged the pair had improperly sold dozens of items once owned by the Back to Black star. The court rejected these claims and found no evidence that the women had concealed the sales.

Deputy High Court Judge Sarah Clarke KC stated that neither defendant had acted improperly. She concluded that the items already belonged to the friends or were freely given by Amy before her death in 2011.

The ruling follows high-value auctions in the United States that generated significant sums. One item included a silk mini-dress worn by Amy during her final performance in Belgrade. That dress fetched $243,200 at auction. Mitch previously offered to drop the legal claim in exchange for $250,000. Parry rejected the offer and told the court she would rather set the money on fire than give him a penny.

According to Sky News, the case centred on auctions held in 2021 and 2023, during which dozens of items linked to the singer were sold, generating significant sums.

Judge Sarah concluded that the items in question were either gifts from the singer or already belonged to her friends. 'I find that neither Ms Parry nor Ms Gourlay deliberately concealed any of their disputed items,' she said, adding that Mitch Winehouse 'could have discovered' the situation with 'reasonable diligence'.

The court also acknowledged the close personal relationships between Winehouse and the two women, reinforcing the likelihood that items had been freely given.

Among the items sold were highly recognisable pieces, including clothing worn during performances, some of which fetched substantial prices at auction.

One of the most notable items was a silk mini-dress worn by Amy Winehouse during her final performance in Belgrade, Serbia. The dress was later sold at auction for $243,200 (£182,656), underlining the high demand for memorabilia linked to the singer.

Source: International Business Times UK