The father of the late singer Amy Winehouse is pursuing legal action against two of her close friends, alleging they deliberately concealed the sale of her personal belongings at auction after her passing. The case is being heard in the High Court in London.
Mitch Winehouse, acting as the administrator of his daughter’s estate, is seeking substantial damages – potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds – from Naomi Parry, Amy’s stylist, and Catriona Gourlay, a long-time friend. He claims they profited from the sale of numerous items at auctions held in the United States in 2021 and 2023.
Amy Winehouse, famed for her powerful vocals and soulful music, tragically died at the age of 27 in July 2011 due to alcohol poisoning.
According to legal representatives for Mr. Winehouse, the two women failed to inform him about their involvement in selling the items. The ongoing court proceedings are reportedly his “only means of obtaining answers” regarding the auctions.
Parry and Gourlay are contesting the claims, asserting that the items in question were either gifts from Winehouse herself or were already in their possession prior to the auctions.
Key Items in Dispute
Henry Legge KC, representing Mr. Winehouse, highlighted specific items in his written submissions. One notable piece was a silk mini-dress worn by Winehouse during her final performance in Belgrade, Serbia. Parry reportedly auctioned this dress for a significant sum of $243,200 (£182,656) in 2021.
Legge argued that “Ms. Parry and Ms. Gourlay deliberately concealed from Mr. Winehouse the fact that they were auctioning the items consigned by them to the 2021 auction and that they were claiming ownership of those items.”
He further stated that Mr. Winehouse initially believed that all 834 items included in the 2021 auction catalogue belonged to the estate. However, the two women were allegedly “asserting ownership of over 150” of those items.
The barrister also claimed that Parry played a key role in convincing Mr. Winehouse to auction the estate’s belongings, without disclosing that she “stood to gain from his agreeing to do so.”
The Initial Auction and Subsequent Sales
Following Amy Winehouse’s death, Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles contacted Mr. Winehouse in 2014 regarding a potential auction of her possessions. Mr. Winehouse initially declined the offer.
However, Julien later contacted Parry, who reportedly expressed her willingness to sell “my collection” in 2018. Gourlay also indicated her interest in selling items in 2019, according to Legge.
Mr. Winehouse eventually agreed to an auction in 2021, which generated approximately 1.4 million dollars (£1.05 million) for the estate. A portion of the proceeds, 30%, was donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
Legge argued that Julien “did not take steps to correct Mr. Winehouse’s obvious impression that all lots belonged to and were being sold by the estate.”
Furthermore, Legge cited a text message from Julien to Parry after the auction, stating: “I do think he will go a little nuts when he realizes all the big pieces were yours.”
The legal team representing Mr. Winehouse also pointed out that both women proceeded to sell additional items at a second auction in May 2023.
During a hearing last July, Mr. Winehouse’s lawyers revealed that Parry had sold approximately 50 items at the 2021 auction for around $878,183 (approximately £682,000), while Gourlay had sold approximately 90 items, totaling $334,113 (approximately £259,000).
Mr. Winehouse’s Perspective
Giving his testimony, Mr. Winehouse expressed his disbelief, stating: “I assume that, being so close, Amy would have given them some things, but 150 items, I just cannot believe it.”
The Defense’s Arguments
In her written submissions, Beth Grossman, representing Parry, stated that her client began working as Winehouse’s stylist in 2006 and resided at her Camden, London property.
Grossman asserted that “Both defendants contend that the vast majority of the disputed items were in their possession from before Amy’s death in 2011, and in many instances from years before her death.”
She further added, “Moreover, each defendant alleges that a number of disputed items had, in fact, always belonged to them and had only ever been loaned by Amy.”
Ted Loveday, representing Gourlay, argued that his client “believed, and still believes, that the sale of the items is ‘what Amy would have wanted’.”
Loveday explained that Gourlay met Winehouse in 2002 and was her flatmate from 2004 to 2005. He characterized the early years of their relationship as being defined by “sharing and swapping.”
He further claimed that after 2006 and the release of “Back to Black,” Winehouse “increasingly gave away items” to Gourlay and others as part of “extravagant acts of generosity.”
The barrister also accused Mr. Winehouse of “cobbling together” his claim in a “thoughtless and uncritical way,” suggesting he was “more concerned with protecting his reputation and punishing Ms. Gourlay and Ms. Parry for some sort of, entirely imagined, slights.”
Loveday also noted that while the case initially involved 156 items, Mr. Winehouse had since “abandoned” his claim to some of them.
The trial, presided over by Sarah Clarke KC, sitting as a deputy High Court judge, is expected to conclude later this week.