Amy Winehouse’s goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, has spoken out after Mitch Winehouse lost a High Court battle he brought against the late singer’s close friends
Amy Winehouse’s father, Mitch, has been branded a “bully” by the singer’s goddaughter after losing a High Court claim against two of the singer’s friends.
Acting as the administrator of Amy’s estate, Mitch attempted to sue Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay for thousands of pounds, claiming they had profited from selling several items which belonged to the late musician. The items in question were sold at auctions in the United States between 2021 and 2023.
Mitch claimed that Catriona and Naomi “deliberately concealed” that they were selling the items – something both Naomi and Catriona denied. They both argued that the items were either gifted by Ms Winehouse or were already owned by them with a judge ruling in their favour today.
But shortly after the verdict, Amy’s goddaughter and singer Dionne Bromfield praised both Naomi and Catriona, while also branding Mitch a “bully”. In a comment on social media, the singer who had a close relationship with Amy said: “Beyond happy for you both!
“Well done for standing up for yourselves and what is right, and not allowing a bully to win.” T
One of the items sold by Amy’s friends was a silk minidress that she had worn in her final ever performance just days before she died at the age of 27.
Today, Deputy High Court judge Sarah Clarke KC said: “I find that neither Ms Parry nor Ms Gourlay deliberately concealed any of their disputed items from the claimant and even if I am wrong about that, Mr Winehouse could have discovered what disputed items the defendants had with reasonable diligence.”
Judge Clarke continued: “Mr Winehouse is clearly a strong character but also someone who has suffered a great tragedy in the loss of his daughter. Since Amy’s death, he has worked hard to keep her memory alive, including through the charitable entity, the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which supports and informs young people through a variety of projects.
“It is also the case that Amy’s estate, including in particular the royalties from Back To Black, has made Mr Winehouse personally extremely wealthy. Mr Winehouse is therefore understandably sensitive about anyone who he perceives as exploiting Amy’s memory, particularly for financial gain, and he is keen to promote the AWF, but also, in my judgment, he is equally sensitive about ensuring that the family continue to benefit financially.”
She added that Mitch “likes to dominate people and situations”, that she found him to be an “unreliable witness”, and that he brought the claim “without bothering to check until shortly before trial” that he had a valid claim for the items he was claiming for.
The judge also described how Amy would “routinely” give her friends clothing because she didn’t want to be seen in the same outfit in public more than once, and that she had “more items than she could ever wear, use or store.” She also mentioned Amy’s “extraordinary generosity”, and it was consistent that she would often give items away and not change her mind about her decisions.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Naomi said: “Today, the High Court has cleared my name, unequivocally and in full, after years of deeply damaging and unfounded allegations brought by Mitch Winehouse. This was not a partial outcome or a matter of nuance. The claim has failed entirely. It should never have been brought.
“I stood beside Amy as a friend, a creative partner, and her costume designer. What we shared was built on trust, loyalty, and a genuine love of the work. To see that relationship misrepresented so publicly has been both painful and profoundly unjust. This judgement restores the truth. It does not, however, erase the toll on my health, my work, and my life of defending myself against claims that had no evidential foundation.
“Accountability matters, and I will take the steps necessary to address the damage caused. For now, my focus is on rebuilding my life and career, and protecting my name, the work I created with Amy, and her legacy. I am deeply grateful to Mark Lewis and the team at Patron Law, my barrister Beth Grossman, the Court, the witnesses: Darren Julien, Ruth Butah, Sadie Frost, Kelly Osbourne and Jenny Dale. My thanks also to my partner Simon, my family and friends, and to Amy’s fans, who never lost sight of the truth.”
Mitch Winehouse has been approached for comment.
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