Amy Winehouse‘s father Mitch Winehouse explains his daughter’s death on the premiere episode of Anderson Cooper‘s talk show, Anderson.
When Cooper asks if drugs were the cause, Mitch says, “No, the toxicology report….so that everybody knows, I’ve been banging on about the fact that she hasn’t taken drugs in three years.”
Continues Mitch of his daughter, who has undergone rehab several times, “Everyone thought I was in denial, I wasn’t in denial, she hadn’t taken drugs. She’d been clean for round about three years….Her problem was alcohol, the last few years of her life. You might argue, ‘What’s the difference?’ The difference is that what happened to Amy wasn’t anything to do with drugs. It might be that drugs took its toll in the early years, but there were no drugs in her system…She was prescribed Liprium, which is a normal drug, which is given to people who are detoxing and it kind of decreases the chances of having seizures. She was continuing to take one of those pill everyday.”
Alcohol, however, was to blame, he says.
PHOTOS: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths
“She had a series of seizures brought on by this binge drinking and then stopping to drink….I think it’s what the doctor said, I think she had a seizure and this was the time when there was no one there to rescue her,” says Mitch.
STORY: Amy Winehouse’s Death: What Hollywood Is Saying
Mitch says they are speaking out to promote the Amy Winehouse foundation. “We are hoping to raise money, we will raise money for disadvantaged children suffering with drug abuse, illl health.”
“I was in New York when I got the news that she passed away….the first thing that came into my head was Amy Winehouse Foundation. Children, horses which is what she loved…Children, horses music, all the things she loved. I decided immediately that’s the direction we were going,” he continues.
Fans have helped the family grieve.
PHOTOS: Amy Winehouse’s Career in Pictures
After hearing his daughter died, Mitch says he “went straight to Amy’s house. They wouldn’t let us in because she was still in there and I went across the street to speak to the fans, there were 100 of fans, they just picked us up…In the most tragic of times it was the most wonderful experience that I think I have ever had in my life.”
Added Amy’s mother, Janis: “When we stepped out of the house at one time, people came up to me and they thanked me for having Amy. That’s when I knew, this is something else. To be thanked for giving birth to my child. That’s wonderful.”
The premiere episode of Anderson airs Sept. 12 (check local listings).
More from The Hollywood Reporter
-
![]()
-
Live Feed
Rachel Brosnahan on the Legacy ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Leaves Behind: “Stories Being Told About Women, by Women”
![]()
-
![]()
-
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Kelly Clarkson Says Daytime Show Move to New York Was “100 Percent” Her Decision
![]()
-
![]()
-
Next Big Thing
Next Big Thing: Sadie Stanley Digs Into Y2K Murder Mystery in ‘Cruel Summer’ Season 2
![]()
