Mitch’s barrister Henry Legge KC, told a court: “It was only after the 2021 auction ended that Mr Winehouse discovered Ms Parry and Ms Gourlay were claiming they owned more than 150 auction lots between them and intended to keep the sale proceeds for themselves.
“They have repeatedly insisted they were ‘entirely transparent’ in the lead-up to the auction. “Their claims are wholly inconsistent with the documentation.”
The lawyer referred to a text exchange between Los Angeles auctioneer Darren Julien and Parry in which the former said: “Last dress sold for $190,000. I think Mitch thinks he owns that dress.”
Parry replied: “Amazing!!” She later added: “Unsure how he’ll feel when he realizes it’s not (his.)”
Julien then wrote: “He definitely thinks he owns it.” Mitch has conceded his daughter could be extremely generous – but said about the possessions in dispute: “I assume she would have given (Parry and Gourlay) some things – but I don’t believe it’s 150 items.”
The case against the duo says they repeatedly visited a lock-up storage unit stuffed with an “overwhelming” amount of Winehouse’s possessions.
Parry and Gourlay insist they also lent Winehouse many items, which ultimately remained theirs, and say she often gave away clothes to them, leaving them with every right to auction them off.
Winehouse’s life was marked by the tragedy of severe, public battles with alcoholism, drug addiction, and bulimia, leading to her premature death at 27 from alcohol poisoning.
Her addictions were compounded by mental health struggles like depression, all under intense media scrutiny and the pressures of fame.
Winehouse’s addiction often overshadowed her incredible talent, leaving a legacy of both musical brilliance and profound loss – much like fellow musicians Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin.
