Amy Winehouse’s father has been ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million to two of the late singer’s friends after losing a legal battle over the sale of her belongings.
A London High Court judge ordered Mitch Winehouse to pay £950,000, or about $1.26 million, to Amy’s former stylist Naomi Parry and friend Catriona Gourlay. Mitch had sued the women after they auctioned 155 items belonging to Amy between 2021 and 2023.
The collection included clothing, handbags, earrings, makeup, ballet slippers and a dress Amy wore during her final tour in 2011. Parry and Gourlay maintained that Amy had given or lent the possessions to them and denied acting dishonestly but Mitch argued they were not entitled to sell them.
Judge Sarah Clarke rejected his case earlier this year and delivered a harsh assessment of his conduct on Wednesday.
“The claimant chose to bring an inherently weak claim, pursue it aggressively and relentlessly to the end,” Clarke said, adding that he made “serious and unfounded allegations” that harmed the women’s reputations, careers, finances and health.
The judge said Mitch “knew all along” about the planned sale and only sought money afterward.
Amy, whose hits included “Rehab” and “Back to Black,” died from alcohol poisoning in July 2011. She was 27.
