Mitch Winehouse, the father of deceased Jewish singer Amy Winehouse, is suing two of his daughter’s friends, alleging that they sold her personal items without informing him, according to British media reports.
Stylist Naomi Parry and friend Catriona Gourlay “deliberately concealed” that they stole dozens of Winehouse’s clothes at an auction following her death, Mitch told the High Court.
“I assume that, being so close, Amy would have given them some things, but 150 items, I just cannot believe it,” Mitch said while giving evidence on Monday.
Parry and Gourlay are now being sued for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Mitch, acting as the administrator of Winehouse’s estate, alleged the pair profited from selling items at auctions in the United States in 2021 and 2023.
His lawyers asserted that neither of the women informed him that his daughter’s items were being sold.
Both defendants deny the accusations, claiming they already owned the items sold or were gifts from Winehouse.
Winehouse passed away from alcohol poisoning aged 27 in July 2011.
Amy Winehouse's personal items in auction sales
The items sold include a silk mini-dress worn in Winehouse’s final performance in Serbia, which sold for $243,200 in 2021.
Parry sold around 50 items at the 2021 auction for around $878,183, while Gourlay sold around 90 items for a total of $334,113.
Henry Legge KC, for representing Mitch, said, “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.”
Additionally, Legge claimed that Mitch believed all the 834 items in the 2021 auction catalogue were owned by the Winehouse estate, but the two women were “asserting ownership of over 150.”
Mitch initially rejected offers by Darren Julien, of Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, to auction his daughter's items in 2014. However, the two women said they were willing to sell what they claimed was their collection in 2018 and 2019.
Beth Grossman, for Parry, asserted, “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.
“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, for Gourlay, also insisted, his client “believed, and still believes, that the sale of the items is what Amy would have wanted.”