Amy Winehouse Memorabilia Battle Deepens as Brother Says Father’s Auction Decisions Were “In Bad Taste”

A family rift surrounding the sale of Amy Winehouse’s personal belongings intensified in the High Court this week, as the late singer’s brother, Alex Winehouse, suggested that their father’s handling of the memorabilia auctions may have been inappropriate.

Alex, 46, told the court that he had attempted to block auctions in 2021 and 2023, after being assured by their father, Mitch, that only a handful of items — “four or five” — would be sold.
Instead, more than 650 belongings from Amy’s estate ultimately went under the hammer.

When asked whether Mitch had been less than fully transparent, Alex replied:
“Yes, I suppose he is saying one thing and doing another. But ultimately, it’s his stuff. He owns that with my mother. If they want to sell it, they can. There’s nothing I can do.”

The dispute has spiralled into a major legal confrontation.
Mitch, 75, is now suing two of Amy’s closest friends — stylist Naomi Parry and former flatmate Catriona Gourlay — claiming they “deliberately concealed” plans to sell roughly 155 items and had no right to profit from them. He is seeking around £730,000 in damages.

Both women deny wrongdoing, insisting the disputed items either belonged to them originally, were loaned to Amy, or were gifts from her.

The court heard that Mitch, a former taxi driver, was “very disappointed” to discover that proceeds from the sales did not entirely benefit either the estate or the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which supports young people dealing with addiction issues.

Many of the items had been exhibited publicly before being sold in the United States, including:

• bloodied ballet pumps worn during a fight with Amy’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil,

• a birthday card from Adele and Mark Ronson,

• and the most valuable piece — a bamboo-pattern halter dress, worn during Amy’s final performance in Belgrade, which Naomi sold for £182,000.

Mitch’s ex-wife Jane, now a managing trustee of the Amy Winehouse Foundation, stepped in to prevent more intimate belongings from being auctioned. She recovered personal objects such as bras, handwritten notes, VHS tapes, and self-help books, believing they were never intended for sale.

Naomi admitted in court that she and Catriona were “parting with a few things” in the Julien’s Auctions sale, but disputed Mitch’s claim over the ownership of the halter dress.
“He had confused it with something he thought belonged to him,” she said. “His mind changes. He remembers things and then forgets them.”

Statements from Kelly Osbourne and actress Sadie Frost were also submitted to the court, confirming that Amy had gifted clothing and other items to her friends over the years.

The trial continues.