10 February 2024 , 21:57
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Amy Winehouse's friends Naomi and Catriona have spoken for the first time, defending allegations accusing them of profiting from the sale of the late singer's items – which they deny.
Both Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay are being sued by Amy's father Mitch Winehouse for the combined sum of £730,000. The globally renowned singer tragically passed away in 2011 at the age of 27, following a lengthy battle with alcohol and drug addiction.
Taking to social media, the pair posted six pages defending themselves against the costly accusation. In the post, they claim they were gifted items from Amy while she was alive and had the items for over "a decade." They claim they spoke about them in the press and to "Mr Winehouse himself."
Amy Winehouse's friends Catriona and Naomi break silence amid legal battle with late singer's dad (Getty Images for The Recording Academy)They also state that their "ownership was never questioned until they were sold." In a bid to showcase her accomplishments and preserve her memory, they undertook a large project which included the book Beyond Black - The Life and Style of Amy Winehouse and a number of exhibitions, which attracted a lot of attention around the world.
Following the completion of the project, the pair say they decided to auction some of their collection at the auction titled Property from the Life and Career of Amy Winehouse, which they claim was in "collaboration with Amy's estate."
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Both Naomi and Catriona refute the claims made by the late singer's father. Alongside the six-page slide on Instagram, they posted a message that read: "I’m sorry we haven’t been able to talk about this sooner but perhaps you’ll understand why we have been quiet in general now. Thanks so much to those of you that have messaged us with love & support, it means the world to us. Cat & Nai xx."
Mitch Winehouse is seeking combined damages of £730,000 (Getty Images Europe)
Amy Winehouse with her mum and dad (Getty Images)At the time of Amy's death, she had amassed a reported fortune of £3.46million at the time of her death. The case is ongoing at the High Court after it was alleged the two women sent: “various items of personal property owned by Amy during her lifetime” to two auctions in 2021 and 2023.
It is claimed that by putting the items up for sale in " their own names and on their own behalf” the two women "converted" Amy's property "to their own use." And so now, Amy's estate is seeking £534,192.90 in damages from Naomi and £198,041.07 from Catriona.
A spokesman for Amy Winehouse's estate told The Mirror: "In 2021, Amy’s estate auctioned items from her life and career with 30% of the proceeds going to the Amy Winehouse Foundation. Two individuals sold a number of items at that auction and have retained the proceeds: the items were all Amy-related. This year they have put more Amy-related items up for auction and together the two auctions have generated six-figure sums for each of them."
They added: "The estate has questioned how these items came into their possession and has not had satisfactory answers. The estate has therefore launched a legal process to clarify the situation. The Amy Winehouse Foundation will directly benefit if monies are recovered from either Defendant."