'Shocking': Amy Winehouse's friends slam dad Mitch for allowing GHOULISH biopic to go ahead

Some of Amy Winehouse's pals have expressed 'disgust' about the Sam Taylor-Johnson-directed biography 'Back to Black'

UPDATED FEB 26, 2023

Amy Winehouse's friends have lashed out at her father Mitch Winehouse (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for NARAS, Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Amy Winehouse has come to represent both beauty and tragedy to the world. She spent her entire life in the public eye before dying in July 2011 from an alcohol overdose, three years before hitting 30. Of course, Winehouse enchanted fans with her music tours but there was a darker side as well - a trail of unsettling news reports and paparazzi photos.

Now, Amy Winehouse's friends are criticizing her father after he agreed to the gruesome filming of her heroin overdose at her old apartment. Friends of the English singer and songwriter were devastated to learn that Mitch Winehouse had permitted one of his daughter's darkest moments from August 2008 to be recreated at the Camden apartment.

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British singer Amy Winehouse sits with her father Mitch as they await news of her Grammy Award at The Riverside Studios for the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 10, 2008 in London, England. Winehouse won 5 out of her 6 nominations including, record of the year, best new artist, song of the year, pop vocal album and female pop vocal performance. — British singer Amy Winehouse sits with her father Mitch as they await news of her Grammy Award at The Riverside Studios for the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 10, 2008 in London, England. Winehouse won 5 out of her 6 nominations including, record of the year, best new artist, song of the year, pop vocal album and female pop vocal performance (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for NARAS)

From record label to movie

In the biopic ‘Back to Black’, actress Marissa Abella plays the singer, while Eddie Marsan plays her father. Meanwhile, her husband Blake Fielder-Civil is played by Jack O'Connell. The controversial biopic's use of Winehouse's former apartment, which is now owned by her father, has been criticized by friends of the late singer.

Musician Amy Winehouse (L) and husband musician Blake Fielder-Civil arrive to the 2007 MTV Movie Awards held at the Gibson Amphitheatre on June 3, 2007 in Universal City, California. — Musician Amy Winehouse (L) and husband musician Blake Fielder-Civil arrive to the 2007 MTV Movie Awards held at the Gibson Amphitheatre on June 3, 2007 in Universal City, California (Frederick M Brown/Getty Images)

After her second record ‘Back to Black’ was released, Winehouse moved into the house and spent happy moments there. Friends told The Daily Mail that Amy's life was a private affair and that it was unnecessary and irksome to highlight just the negative aspects. Her friends have complained that the movie mainly depicts her darkest moments whereas in reality, she had many more wonderful ones.

Friends condemn biopic

Some of Amy's acquaintances have expressed concern over the biopic, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Winehouse lived in the apartment before she purchased a four-story home nearby in 2010. She and her husband Blake Fielder-Civil left their Camden residence in 2007.

Amy allowed a friend to stay in the apartment, but after she died, her father took over the property. "There was always music and laughter. That was Amy. She was very loving and very fun to be around." After a series of statements for her friends, fans and friends "wonder how Winehouse would have reacted to the biopic’s portrayal of her dark days," a friend told The DailyMail. Another pal told the publication, "His behavior is shocking. He did not know what went on or what she was like with us all during those years."

A star gone young

Winehouse reimagined what had come to be expected of pop artists. She didn't have the primping and marketing of a teen-market popstrel; instead, she had magnificent hair, heavy eyeliner, a penchant for leopard print, and multiple tattoos. She made music that was meant to be appealing to a contemporary audience.

British singer Amy Winehouse looks up at a television monitor whilst awaiting news of her Grammy Award at The Riverside Studios for the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 10, 2008 in London, England. Winehouse won 5 out of her 6 nominations including, record of the year, best new artist, song of the year, pop vocal album and female pop vocal performance. — British singer Amy Winehouse looks up at a television monitor whilst awaiting news of her Grammy Award at The Riverside Studios for the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 10, 2008 in London, England (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for NARAS)

She was recognized for her husky contralto voice and her aptitude for fusing the timeless melodies of soul, jazz, and R&B. She received numerous honors in her short career, including a Brit, three Novellos, and six Grammys. ‘Back to Black’, her second album, is still the best-selling album of the twenty-first century in the UK.