Why Amy Winehouse's Ex-Husband Refuses to Take Blame for Her Death
Amy Winehouse's ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, admits that he made some "mistakes" during their relationship but would like the public to stop blaming him for her death.
While chatting with Ben Shephard, host of Good Morning Britain, on what would have been the late singer's 40th birthday, Fielder-Civil, 41, explained that the public's perception that he's "responsible" for her tragic passing was one of the driving reasons for him to come forward now.
"I can’t change how other people feel about that," he said. "But for me personally, I’ve needed to stop carrying that cross on my own. I’ve carried that burden myself for over 10 years."
He continued, "I feel, to be honest, that I’m the only person within that story that’s ever held any accountability, that’s ever tried to say, ‘Yep, I made some huge mistakes.’"
Fielder-Civil looked back on the time, recalling himself as "a 20-something-year-old drug addict" with "absolutely no idea how to make myself clean, let alone somebody else who was a big cog in a machine for a record label, and there were vested interests in Amy carrying on performing."
Though the former couple had a brief commitment to each other–first saying "I do" in May 2007 in Miami and separating less than a year later before ultimately divorcing after two years of marriage in July 2009–many of Winehouse's fans speculated that Fielder-Civil was at fault for inciting her detrimental behavior and introducing her to addictive substances.
However, the theory that her ex is to blame for her death is something "Valerie" singer's father, Mitch Winehouse, is also trying to disprove with the release of her journal entries in the new book Amy Winehouse: In Her Words.
While discussing the new release, Mitch revisited the topic of his daughter's passing and legacy, telling ET Online that she was "a lot more than the singer, the person who struggled with addiction, much more than that. [She was] Loving, kind, a wonderful family member and a wonderful friend."
"That's what we want people to know about Amy," he said before echoing similar statements he made over a decade ago that revealed she "was clear of drugs for three years [before] her passing."
"So that's important," Mitch explained.
Years earlier, in 2009, Mitch described her situation as being "in need of rescue" but "getting better every day."
Unfortunately, two years later, the legendary singer died in her London home at the age of 27. Her cause of death was determined to be alcohol toxicity and there were no illegal substances in her system at the time of her death, per the official toxicology report.
"Amy was the greatest daughter, family member and friend you could ever have. I will talk a lot about her fantastic recovery," Mitch said in a 2011 statement. "Recently, Amy found love with Reg [Traviss]. He helped her with her problems and Amy was looking forward to their future together. She was the happiest she has been for years."
"She was not depressed," Mitch's statement continued. "She saw [her mother] Janis and Reg on Friday and was in good spirits. That night, she was in her room, playing drums and singing ... But knowing she wasn't depressed, knowing she passed away, knowing she passed away happy, it makes us all feel better."
