Amy Winehouse’s dad is trying to put her in an institution


Mitch Winehouse, father to the infamous Amy – is like the British version of Jaime Spears – father to the even more infamous Britney. Even though Mitch very famously told Amy she didn’t need to go to rehab way back in the day (at least according to the lyrics in Amy’s Grammy Award winning song Rehab), he changed his tune a long time ago, as his daughter descended deeper and deeper into addiction… and what seems to be a bit of madness as well.

Now Mitch is telling News of the World that Amy needs to be sectioned (the US equivalent of a mental health hold) and placed in a psych ward – for her own health, as well as the safety of others.

In an exclusive interview with the News of the World, [Mitch Winehouse] said: “I want her sectioned. The situation is getting out of control. I want her off the street.” Dismissing another stint in rehab, Mitch said: “I don’t think being somewhere for six weeks is going to cure her problems. I think it needs far more radical measures. We will take the bull by the horns and deal with it.”

Mitch, 57, revealed: “I’ve been on the phone to Amy’s manager in Los Angeles and he’s starting things rolling. They are going to be speaking to doctors, psychologists and everything else. I want Amy to be somewhere where she will be safe and where no harm can come to her. Obviously as her dad I will try and do what’s best for her. Unfortunately, what I think is best for Amy and what she thinks is best for her are two different things.

[From News of the World]

Mitch acknowledged to the tabloid that he would need a lot of help, and would need to get a psychologist, a medical doctor, and the local health authority along with Amy’s next of kin to agree that she needs to be sectioned. Though it’s not mentioned, in America it seems that Amy’s next of kin would be her husband, who’s currently in jail awaiting trial. Mitch gives the impression throughout the course of the article that he’s the next of kin, though he never directly says so.

It would be really great for Amy if someone stepped in and took control of her life. She’s clearly on the edge, and is obviously a danger not just to herself but to others. Once you assault three men in one night, I’d say you’re a threat.

Mitch also admitted that Amy has been cheating on husband Blake with her manager’s assistant, Alex Haynes, 24. Mitch asked Alex to look after Amy, and seems to feel a bit betrayed by him. But he also admitted it was probably Amy that seduced Alex, and not the other way around. Amy’s mom Janis also confirmed to the Daily Mail that Amy has been cheating on Blake with Alex. And even though the parents don’t condone infidelity, they both seem to like the guy a hell of a lot more than their loser son-in-law.

Janis Winehouse told the Sunday Mirror: “I’d spoken to Alex a couple of times over the phone, but this was the first time I’d actually met him. He’s a lovely boy – gentle and sweet. He really looked after Amy popping out to buy cigarettes, papers, anything she wanted. He works for her manager so their relationship was professional to begin with but if they’ve made something of it, I’m thrilled.

[From the Daily Mail]

And though it’s certainly no big surprise at this point, Alex isn’t the first guy Amy’s cheated on Blake with. According to the Sun, she also cheated with “Good” Blake, who was supposed to be helping her stay sober. Apparently he had his own methods for distracting her from thoughts of alcohol and drugs.

Despite all the cheating, drugs, assaults, arrests, and both partners spending time in jail, Amy has vociferously denied that she and Blake are divorcing – and told a photographer from WENN that everything is fine.

“I ended up having a 10-minute conversation with her on the doorstep. She insisted she is not divorcing Blake. She’s totally in love with him. I said, ‘How are things?’ She said, ‘It’s beautiful. The summer’s come and I can’t wait to get my Blake back.’

“She said to me, ‘You’ve seen us together – and you know how much we’re in love with each other. We’re gonna be together forever. Can you tell the people at the papers to stop writing lies after lies after lies. We’re not splitting up, I don’t have a new boyfriend, I’m totally in love with Blake and I’ll be going to court with him every single day to support him throughout his case. I couldn’t be happier.'”

[From Hollywood TV]

Sounds like they have all the ingredients for a healthy, happy marriage. I’m sure a lifetime of sanity and cuddling awaits the happy couple.

Here’s Amy answering the door to a friend wearing a gold bikini and denim shorts today. Images thanks to WENN.

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18 Responses to “Amy Winehouse’s dad is trying to put her in an institution”

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  1. xiaoecho says:

    Sorry, I believe her Mum over a pap – then again- Amy is so all over the place, she could have made it up with Blake over the phone. She IS a self confessed tart
    I just hope to hell they throw the book at him when he makes his court appearance in June – Amy is the victim of abuse at his hands – if not physical, then certainly emotional. Her family hate him. Why would they hate a man that loves and cherishes their daughter? This is about the only thing her parents agree upon
    Her flat always looks filthy – as is the way with junkies

  2. Bodhi says:

    I really like Amy & her music & have defended her like crazy in the past, but she is out of her gourd & needs help.

  3. Scott F. says:

    I see a tranquilizer gun and a guy with a giant butterfly net in her near future. At least I hope so – for her own sake.

  4. bros says:

    I think its interesting that its only women behaving badly that need to be locked up and away from society. its paternalistic, quite literally, since it always seems these adult women who have been married and even have kids, apparently need their “daddies” (in collusion with the state) to step in and regain control over the women’s bodies. amy is surely a little dangerous. is she behaving any worse than pete dougherty, richie sambora, robert downey jr. or any of the countless other misbehaving drug addicts and public nuicances? is there ever a public outcry for their parents and especially daddy to step in and get control? surely not. its amazing how gendered this kind of discipline is.

  5. Scott F. says:

    Ummm bros – I might point out that every one of those guys has been to jail or at the very least been bitch-slapped by the court numerous times. Amy has been videotaped beating the shit out of people, smoking crack, smoking pot, and headbuting inanimate objects.

    How many MEN could get away with that? Seriously – if a man had assaulted that guy on camera, do you think they would have let him off with a warning?

    Did your feminist studies teacher ever show you the statistical sentencing of criminals by sex? Women are like 900% less likely to get the death penalty, and in general get much lighter sentencing all over the world.

    You can relax now. Not everyone with a penis is trying to oppress you.

  6. xiaoecho says:

    bros….here here!

  7. headache says:

    bros, you ever heard of Tom Sizemore or Charlie Sheen?

  8. bros says:

    headache and scott: my comment took into account that men behaving badly go to jail, certainly, and elicit the control and long arm of the state. but were there public calls for parents to get control of their sons? did their daddies step in to get control of them. no. and thats my point. only women who have problems need their parents to step in and get them mental help. so scott, you lay off the misplaced feminist studies comments and the pathetic stats. my comment was specifically about the call for parents to reign in their daughters in addition to state punishment. im only trying to draw attention to the enormous gender bias in the way these things are handled.

  9. Scott F. says:

    ‘In addition to state punishment’ – in addition to what punishment exactly? Seriously, your argument is pretty damn ironic when you think about it. These women are AVOIDING criminal prosecution for the same crimes that those men headache and I mentioned were charged and convicted of – and instead their daddies are coming to save the day.

    Ask Charlie Sheen if he would rather have been in trouble with the law or had Martin Sheen embarrass him a little in the public eye and get him some help.

    You’re bitching about them being persecuted when men wouldn’t be, but in fact they’re getting off way lighter than any of those men did for similar offenses.

  10. bros says:

    yah scott. youre proving my point with every sentence. paternalistic and patronizing punishments are being reserved for grown women as the public asks “where are her parents? why dont they do something” when everyone is perfectly content to let the police and the state deal with sizemore et al when it feels that they have transgressed enough. plently of men are caught/photographed using drugs or causing car accidents or being abusive and get away with muh lighter sentences than they deserve, so it isnt that all women are getting off to easy and the poor men are being prosecuted all over the place. please.

  11. headache says:

    Bros does have a point now that he’s clarified himself. Amy is a grown adult and the calls for her father to come rescue her are odd I suppose in light of that.

    I think the only reason I suggested it for Britney was for the sake of Mr Spears’ grandbabies.

    Charlie Sheen’s father however, was very vocal about his son’s issues and his hope that Charlie would get the help he needed. It is because of Martin Sheen’s actions when Charlie was acting the ass, that I sided with Charlie when Denise Richards made her claims.

  12. Scott F. says:

    You’re still managing to miss my point.

    “plently of men are caught/photographed using drugs or causing car accidents or being abusive and get away with muh lighter sentences than they deserve”

    I’m not talking about what they ‘deserve’, I’m talking about cold statistics. Check sentencing statistics for anywhere in the country (I believe you can find them on the CIA factbook page) and you’ll see that women get lighter sentences than men for the same crimes. This isn’t even disputable, it’s first year law school stuff.

    The classic example are the ‘postpartum’ cases. Find me any case in American history where a man killed all of his children and anyone cared about his state of mind at the time. Am I bitching about the discrepancy? No. I just accept that our society operates that way. I do find it ironic that you’re claiming she’s being singled out though.

    All of the men you named have been in serious legal trouble for the same behavior she’s getting away with, and it’s not just her. Robert Downey Jr. spent more than a year in jail. Tom Sizemore – ditto. Amy Winehouse got a warning for a videotaped assault. Who’s really got the bum deal here?

  13. T-Bird says:

    C’mon you guys…you just continue to forget…Does this help your memory…”Try to make me go to rehab I said no no no”…Remember? The chick wasn’t lying…

  14. bros says:

    oh my god scott, you seriously must be retarded. i am making a qualitative distinction rather than a quantitative distinction-a subtelty that you repeatedly fail to understand even when other commenters on the site understood my clarification. why are you even talking about CIA factbook statistics. you have now proven yourself too dense to understand anything so i give up because you are missing the point (while still proving mine at the same time). maybe you are an idiot savant.

  15. Snowblood says:

    Well, I for one saw Bros’ point immediately from his/her first post, and I agree with it. The point, that Bros made, I mean.

  16. Scott F. says:

    Retarded? That’s pretty rich coming from someone lacking the physical or mental dexterity to navigate the 1/8th inch gap between the letter Z and the SHIFT button.

    Bottom line – if you’re going to start bitching about societal inequality when it comes to sex, you might want to pick a different area than the justice system. A system where women are routinely let off with lighter sentences for the same crimes, are given the benefit of the doubt in nearly all custody and divorce cases, ect.

    I’m a father myself, and if she was my daughter (or my son) I would be doing exactly the same thing. As headache pointed out, Martin Sheen was just as vocal about helping his son as Amy’s dad is. It’s not a question of society thinking some poor helpless girl needs a hand up – it’s a father who’s trying desperately to save his child. If you can’t see even altruistic acts like these without painting them with your own political hangups, and accusing people of shady motives, then I kind of feel sorry for you.

  17. xiaoecho says:

    Bros……You know you’ve pretty well won the debate when people start nitpicking about grammar/spelling/typos’

    and my original comment on your post should have been hear hear! not here here!……..oops – wasn’t concentrating

  18. gg says:

    I can only say I am shocked she’s not been led to help earlier just for being a drug-addled crazy bitch.

    If her dad can do something, for ff’s sake, GOOD. Haul her ass in. Whatever works.

    Dads can do less about their sons, maybe just because of overpowering strength alone.