The father of the late British singer Amy Winehouse has filed a lawsuit against her friends, who sold the singer’s dresses and other items that belonged to her. According to Mitchell Winehouse, the money should have gone to the family and a foundation dedicated to the artist’s memory.
Mitchell Winehouse, who filed a lawsuit opened on Monday at the High Court in London, accuses Naomi Parry, the former stylist of the star who died in 2011, and Catriona Gourlay, the former roommate of the singer, of illegally misappropriating her assets in order to sell them, keeping the sums obtained, writes Agerpres.
According to the father’s lawyer, the two women auctioned, from November 2021 to May 2023, approximately 150 items that belonged to the artist, including the dresses she wore during her last tour in June 2011.
Mitchell believes that he is the sole owner of these items and therefore should have received the proceeds from their sale through Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auction House.
The artist’s father demands 730,000 pounds from the two
Those who attended the auction were informed that 30% of the proceeds would be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
Catriona Gourlay’s lawyer claims that most of the items were loaned or given by the singer to the two women, even though there is no tangible evidence of these gifts.
“If a 19-year-old gives a scarf or earrings to her friend, no one signs a contract“, argued the lawyer, emphasizing the singer’s “generosity”.
Catriona Gourlay and Naomi Parry knew Amy Winehouse before she became famous.
On the second day of the trial, the women’s lawyers pointed out to the jury the major financial discrepancy between Mitchell Winehouse (who is a multimillionaire from his daughter’s inheritance) and the two women, who are experiencing financial difficulties.
According to the complaint, Mitchell Winehouse initially offered them an amicable settlement (to give him 30% of the earnings), but after they refused, he sued for the full amount (about £730,000) obtained from the sales.
Amy Winehouse was a British singer and songwriter, considered one of the most powerful and original voices of soul and jazz music in recent years. He was born on September 14, 1983 in London and grew up in a family passionate about music. She started singing at a young age and her talent was quickly noticed by the music industry.
She became internationally known in 2006 with the release of her second album, Back to Black. The album was a huge success, winning five Grammy Awards and being considered a landmark of modern soul music.
Amy Winehouse died on July 23, 2011, aged just 27, in her home in London. The official inquest determined that death was caused by alcohol intoxication, after a period of abstinence followed by a sudden relapse. Her death shocked fans around the world.
