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Amy Winehouse's father, Mitch Winehouse, has lost a U.K. lawsuit against two of the late singer's friends who sold clothes and other personal items years after her death, with the court ruling that the disputed belongings had either been gifted to them or abandoned.
The case centered on 155 items linked to Amy Winehouse, including dresses, handbags, ballet slippers, earrings and makeup, which were sold through Los Angeles-based Julien's Auctions between November 2021 and May 2023.
Mitch Winehouse had argued that the two women, former stylist Naomi Parry and her friend Catriona Gourlay, had no right to sell the items. The court heard claims that they had taken advantage of his forgetfulness and made more than $1.4 million from the sales.
Both women denied acting dishonestly and said the singer had either given or lent the items to them, even though there was no proof for every piece.
In her written judgment, Judge Sarah Clarke said she found that "neither Ms Parry nor Ms Gourlay deliberately concealed any of their disputed items from the claimant."
She also said that even if that view were wrong, Mitch Winehouse could still have found out what items the two women had if he had acted with reasonable diligence.
The judge dismissed the case and ruled that the disputed belongings were owned by the two women or had been gifted to them. A small number of items were described as "abandoned by Amy," meaning her father had no ownership or immediate right to possess them.
The judgment also set out the nature of Amy Winehouse's relationship with both women, saying she had shared a longstanding and close friendship with them even before she became famous.
Judge Clarke said the singer had shown "extraordinary generosity towards her friends and also those she barely knew," especially when it came to clothing, fashion accessories and other style-related items.
According to the ruling, Winehouse had more belongings than she could wear, use or store, and she regularly gave clothes and accessories away to friends and family.
Court documents showed that Mitch Winehouse believed money raised through the auctions should have gone to him and to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
The foundation, which was set up in the singer's name, works with young people to support hope and self-reliance.
After the ruling, Parry said the court had fully cleared her name after years of what she described as damaging and unfounded allegations. She also said her bond with Amy Winehouse had been built on trust, loyalty and a shared love of the work they did together.
Amy Winehouse rose to global fame with her 2006 album Back to Black, which won Grammy Awards and included the song "Rehab," a track closely associated with her struggle with addiction.
Known for her beehive hairstyle, dark eyeliner, tattoos and distinctive smoky voice, Winehouse died in July 2011 from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27.
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