In a deeply emotional interview, Blake Fielder-Civil, the ex-husband of tragic pop icon Amy Winehouse, has spoken out for the first time about his role in her tumultuous life and untimely death, denying responsibility for her passing. In a candid discussion on Paul C Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast, Blake conceded that he had “a part to play” in Amy’s struggle with addiction but insisted he is not to blame for her tragic end.
Amy Winehouse, who passed away at the age of 27 in July 2011, was known for her incredible talent but also for her long battle with alcohol and drug addiction. Her death was officially ruled as alcohol poisoning, with her blood-alcohol level being five times the legal limit. Amy had been in and out of rehab, and her battle with substance abuse had been well-documented in the media.
Speaking about Amy’s addiction, Blake explained, “My stance now is that I know a lot of people, especially people reading media twenty years ago, would have the idea that Amy’s passing is my responsibility,” he said. “As I’ve always said—I never shirk from any responsibility. If I’ve done something, I’ll put my hand up to it, but I’m okay. I’m not okay, but I’ve made my peace with… yeah, I had a part to play.” However, Blake maintains that the addiction and the issues leading to Amy’s death were far more complicated than what was depicted in the public eye.
Blake further clarified that Amy’s addiction began before their relationship, countering the common narrative that he introduced her to drugs. “Amy had started trying cocaine with her ex-partner,” Blake claimed. “There are pictures of Amy at the BRITs with, you know, as they do, ‘powder up the nose’—and, yeah, it was known. It was known that Amy had experimented with drugs, and it was nothing to do with me.” He also admitted to introducing her to heroin, but stated, “The first time she did it was with me, and it was probably my sixth time.”
Although Blake acknowledged the role he played in the downward spiral of their co-dependent relationship, he also stressed that Amy made her own choices. “Amy herself had agency, and that is in no way at all disrespecting her by saying that,” he said. “Amy did what she wanted to do, and even knowing the drinking had started to hurt her, she carried on.”
Their relationship was famously tumultuous, marked by addiction, public scandals, and heartbreaking volatility. Their marriage was a significant part of Amy’s journey, inspiring her Grammy-winning album, Back to Black, which captured the raw emotions and pain of their relationship. But after their divorce in 2009, Amy continued to struggle with substance abuse.
Blake, who was serving a 32-month prison sentence at HMP Leeds at the time of Amy’s death, revealed that despite their tumultuous past, they had been in contact in the days before she passed away. He shared, “The week Amy passed, I was in jail, unfortunately. We were still very much talking about the possibility of reconciling again.”
While Blake was not implying that they would have gotten back together, he said, “I have no qualms about saying that we would still be in each other’s lives now.” He also revealed that, even in prison, he was deeply concerned for her well-being. “I had this massive fear that something’s going to happen to her if I’m not around,” he confessed. “So when they told me that she passed away, my first thought was, this is my worst nightmare, it’s not true.”
Blake recalled the moment he was informed of Amy’s death and how it felt like a devastating shock. “When they showed me the BBC link, and obviously I was more conscious at that point that this had happened, but my head was swimming straight away,” he said. “I had to wait until I got into my cell. My cellmate at the time was a really solid guy. He’d seen it on the news and gave me a hug straight away. I burst into tears.”
The overwhelming sense of loss Blake felt was palpable as he reflected on the grief of losing Amy, the woman who had been a huge part of his life. “That was the only comfort I had at that moment for losing this massive, huge part of my life, a big part of my heart. Someone I was not going to see again or hear again or anything again,” Blake said, his voice heavy with emotion. “It was too much.”
While many have blamed Blake for Amy’s addiction, he remains resolute in his belief that their relationship, while troubled, wasn’t the sole cause of her death. He stated, “I wasn’t thinking with any luck they’ll become a drug addict. There was no destructive element to it. It was ‘Do you want to try this?’”
Blake’s reflections on Amy’s legacy, their shared struggles, and his role in her life come from a place of regret and sorrow. While he admits his part in her addiction, he insists that Amy’s death was not his responsibility. Yet, the emotional scars from their time together are something he will carry forever.
