Blake Fielder-Civil, the ex-husband of Amy Winehouse who has long been accused of introducing the singer to Class A drugs, has insisted he is not responsible for her death.
In a rare interview on Paul C Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast, Fielder-Civil opened up about his turbulent relationship with the London-born singer, their struggles with addiction and the intense scrutiny they faced at the height of her fame.
Winehouse died in July 2011 aged 27 from alcohol poisoning, two years after the couple divorced.
Speaking on the podcast, Fielder-Civil acknowledged he had played a role in the destructive dynamic of their relationship but said it was wrong to portray him as solely responsible for the Rehab hit-maker’s decline.
“My stance now is that I know a lot of people… would have an idea that Amy’s passing is my responsibility,” he said.
“I never shirk from any responsibility. If I’ve done something, I’ll put my hand up to it… I had a part to play.
“But Amy herself had agency… Amy did what she wanted to do.”
He added that recognising this was not intended to diminish the seriousness of her addiction.
“She was actually a very strong woman,” he said.
Fielder-Civil also addressed long-running claims that he introduced Winehouse to heroin during their relationship.
He admitted the pair experimented with drugs together but denied being a long-term addict before meeting the singer.
“I wasn’t in daily addiction,” he said. “I didn’t wake up and need drugs.”
While he confirmed that Winehouse first tried heroin with him, he rejected the idea that he had manipulated her into drug use.
“The way the story is told is that I was a hardened drug addict who somehow manipulated that situation and it’s just not true,” he said.
Fielder-Civil also reflected on the couple’s chaotic relationship during the mid-2000s, when Winehouse’s rise to global fame coincided with relentless tabloid attention.
He claimed both that they both had their phones hacked during that period, saying the intrusion made them increasingly distrustful of those around them.
Despite the turmoil surrounding their relationship, Fielder-Civil said he was stunned to discover that Winehouse’s Grammy-winning album Back to Black had been written largely about him.
Recalling hearing the songs for the first time, he said the lyrics felt like reading “old love letters”, referencing moments from their relationship.
Fielder-Civil also spoke about the moment he learned of Winehouse’s death while serving a prison sentence for assault and perverting the course of justice.
Prison officers took him to an office and showed him a news report confirming the singer had died.
“My first thought was that it would be a hoax,” he said.
When the reality set in, he returned to his cell where he broke down.
“I burst into tears,” he said. “It was the only comfort I had at that moment for losing this massive, huge part of my life.”
The episode of We Need To Talk with Paul C Brunson featuring Blake Fielder-Civil is out now.
