Coroner reveals Amy Winehouse died “by misadventure,” alcohol

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It makes me sad to report on Amy Winehouse at all. She passed away this July and initial reports said that she didn’t have any drugs in her system at the time. I thought that the case was closed and that we might never know why and how Amy died. Her family said she had recently given up drugs and drinking cold turkey, and they speculated that she may have died from alcohol withdrawal. Sadly it looks like she died from alcohol poisoning. She had five times the legal limit in her system, according to the coroner.

Amy Winehouse’s July 23 death was the “unintended consequence” of drinking too much alcohol, British coroner Suzanne Greenaway announced Wednesday.

Ruling that it was “death by misadventure,” the coroner stated that Winehouse, 27, was more than five times over the legal limit, according to the inquest, and two large bottles and one small bottle of vodka were found in the bedroom of her London home.

Winehouse was an “intelligent, determined young woman who, at times, was able to successful abstain from alcohol,” the coroner said while announcing the cause of death as “alcohol toxicity.”

Winehouse’s parents, Mitch and Janis, were in the court to hear the verdict. At the end, Mitch, a taxi driver and singer, embraced his daughter’s doctor, Christina Romete.

Earlier, the physician had told the court that she last saw Winehouse on the evening before her death. The singer, who had successfully battled drugs problems, had started drinking again after a period of abstinence, Dr. Romete said.

Romete said Winehouse had been “tipsy” but “calm” and coherent and “able to hold a conversation” during the visit. “She didn’t want to die, she was looking forward to the future,” the doctor added.

Winehouse’s family had suggested that stopping drinking might have caused Winehouse’s sudden death. It earlier has been determined that no illegal drugs had been found in her system.

After learning of the cause of death, Winehouse’s family issued a statement, saying, “It is some relief to finally find out what happened to Amy. We understand there was alcohol in her system when she passed away; it is likely a build up of alcohol in her system over a number of days. The court heard that Amy was battling hard to conquer her problems with alcohol and it is a source of great pain to us that she could not win in time.”

[From People]

It bothers me that the news about the death has been released over several months. I understand that these tests take time and that it must take time to write up a report and schedule a court date to make the announcement. How hard must it be for the family, though, to finally hear the cause of death after three months? That’s just when they’re probably coming to terms with everything, and now this brings it all up again. It seemed like we already heard how she died. As the family said in their statement though, at least they know now. RIP Amy.

If you haven’t read this interview with Amy’s last boyfriend yet, you might want to see it. He says some lovely and heartbreaking things about her. Particularly “we were halfway through a conversation in our life together and then, suddenly, she disappeared.”

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23 Responses to “Coroner reveals Amy Winehouse died “by misadventure,” alcohol”

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  1. WTF says:

    what an odd way to put it…”by misadventure”. Sad but not like it wasn’t expected?

  2. Kimbob says:

    I really hate hearing that. So, so sad. Alcohol is referred to as being “cunning, baffling and powerful” in the Big Book. Truer words I’ve never heard. RIP Amy, and I wish nothing but peace and understanding to her family.

  3. ladybert62 says:

    I always believed that it was either drugs or alcohol or a combination of both – after the first report of no drugs, I figured it had to be the alcohol – wonder why it took so long to conclude this.

  4. Bopa says:

    I don’t get how people are painting like her death was somehow of better circumstance if she died this way instead of pills. Alcohol addiction can kill you just as quickly as an illegal or prescribed drug addiction can.

  5. LeeLoo says:

    It’s so sad. It sounds like she tried quitting cold turkey then did a binge drink. That’s super dangerous at the levels of tolerance she had.

    I miss Amy. I loved her music and style. Fate plays cruel tricks on us.

    RIP Amy. 🙁

  6. Trillion says:

    My god, she had such a rare, strange beauty physically and vocally. So sad that she didn’t climb out of the pit. Seemed she was trying, just not quite hard enough. Heartbreaking to know she had intentions of beating her demons off when she succumbed.

  7. Rita says:

    So much addiction in this world. What is it in the mind that holds so tightly to such destruction that one loses their free will? RIP, Amy.

  8. Violet says:

    Winehouse’s family should never have publicly announced alcohol withdrawal caused her death. Who only knows how many of her fans used this as an excuse not to stop drinking, some of them maybe even succumbing to the same fate as their idol.

    Amy was a very talented woman, but she didn’t know the meaning of the world moderation.

    There was a blind item before her death about a female singer who was HIV+ and it was widely thought to be her. I guess we’ll never get official confirmation now, but I hope her latest boyfriend was smart enough to use protection with Amy.

    All that aside, it’s so sad that Amy was such a deeply troubled person. I hope she’s at peace now.

  9. layla says:

    I also found the phrasing “death by misadventure” strange… so I googled it.
    Apparently its the legal notation of a death due to unintentional accident without any violation of law or criminal negligence. Thus, there is no crime.

    RIP Amy.

  10. Eleonor says:

    I hope she is in peace now, her last boyfriend comes out always like a great person: he has waited to talk about her death, and he is always very sweet and polite. I bet we’ll never hear anything unconvenient from him, for that there will be that a**hole of Blake and his tell all book, I’m sure he’s gonna write something to buy his crack.

  11. Harper says:

    I just wanted to commend you as an author, Celebitchy. I feel like you’re always fair and compassionate and remember that these are real people with real loved ones. So few gossip bloggers do this. It’s so refreshing.

  12. Stubbylove says:

    Sad news – talented, troubled, interesting and very ill young woman. @Kimbob said it best, alcohol is “cunning, baffling and powerful”. The addiction eats away at you mentally, physically and lastly spiritually – an awful way to die. RIP Amy.

  13. the original bellaluna says:

    RIP Amy, and wishes of peace to her family and boyfriend.

  14. Smithy says:

    @Violet — implying that the Winehouse family shouldn’t have told the truth because it will somehow cause Amy’s fans to follow the same path is absolutely ridiculous. Aside from the fact that it’s the TRUTH and they have the right to tell it, you could just as easily argue that this knowledge could be the last straw that convinces someone to get help. They’re a grieving family, get off their backs.

  15. alibeebee says:

    @trillion please don’t say she didn’t try hard enough.. i know you don’t mean it that way. we all learn from falling and stumbling. poor Amy did not get to have that moment be a fall. but she’s at peace and rest now and whatever demons haunted her in life have no effect on her in the afterlife. We are the ones that will miss the voice the talent how her songs and voice could touch the very soul of you. Atleast we have her music this will never fade and she will always be alive in a sense.. to her millions of fans.

  16. Violet says:

    @Smithy

    When Amy’s family told the public that she died of alcohol withdrawal that was just wishful thinking on their part NOT truth.

    In fact, the coroner’s report reveals the opposite was true: Amy had FIVE times the legal limit in her system and died of alcohol poisoning.

  17. Kelly says:

    As a recovering alcoholic, I can truthfully say what a horrible, awful existence it creates in one’s life…it gets to the point where it’s difficult to be sober, but it’s awful to be drunk. There is no “fun” in drinking; it is as if one is being tortured all the time. I have been sober for two years; it hasn’t been easy, and I suspect it would even be more difficult for a superstar in the media limelight, with all the pressures and stresses that entails. And so true that it hurts everyone – the addict and everyone in his/her life. My heart goes out to all of them; I know it could have been me who ended that way – I am grateful everyday for my sobriety and only wish that Amy had reached the same pinnacle…

  18. Stubbylove says:

    Congrats to you @Kelly – you’ve got balls, courage and strength – wishing you and all those in recovery the very best.

  19. Shelb says:

    Lohan’s next.

  20. Misspdx says:

    @ Kelly .. Amen!!

    For those of us that struggle with addiction these celebrity OD’s hit close to home. Because it could be any one of us. I am so thankful when I go to sleep some nights knowing there is nothing in my system that can kill me while I sleep. Baffling indeed!

    RIP Amy.. Back to Black is my soundtrack of 06 and 07 .. I miss the music you would’ve made

  21. fallen says:

    I feel so sad for her family and bf. She looks so beautiful in that second pic.

    RIP Amy

  22. Trashaddict says:

    “A build-up of alcohol in her system over several days”?? Where was her family when that was happening? They must have given up on her. Sad how they have soft-peddled this, enabling her addiction when she’s already dead.
    May sound like a cruel comment, but the truth sucks, doesn’t it?

  23. Lucia says:

    Reg Traviss was photographed 43 days after Amy’s death hand in hand with his ex-girlfriend Raven Isis at streets of London (pics from Daily Mail). And then, was photographed having fun in October Fest in Berlin with a german actress.I do not think Reg really loved Amy…