Blake Fielder-Civil, who was married to Amy Winehouse from 2007 to 2009, spoke up to reject the idea that he is solely to blame for the singer's 2011 death at age 27. On the March 17 episode of the We Need to Talk podcast, he addressed long-running public speculation and shared his version of events.

What he said

Blake Fielder-Civil acknowledged he was with Winehouse the first time she tried heroin, but said she had already experimented with cocaine earlier with another ex. He insisted he would own up to any harm he caused, but that he did not force her into drug use.

He described Winehouse as "a very strong woman" who "had agency" and made her own choices. Blake said he has "made peace" with having had a part to play, but pushed back on the notion that he was a daily facilitator or the person supplying drugs.

The coroner ruled Winehouse's death an accidental alcohol poisoning and noted no illegal substances were in her system. Blake also noted he was incarcerated at the time of her death and still feels connected to her, saying their story involved being young and struggling with addiction.

Why he pushed back

Blake's main points were simple: he will accept personal responsibility for actions he did take, but he rejects being labeled the single cause of Winehouse's death. He emphasized that Amy made choices of her own and that addiction was a shared, complicated problem between them, not a direct consequence of their relationship.

Other celebrities who've spoken about addiction and recovery

  • Eminem reflected on past prescription pill abuse and an overdose in his 2025 documentary Stans. He said missing family moments helped push him toward sobriety and that music played a role in his recovery.
  • Anthony Hopkins has spoken about getting sober on December 29, 1975, and marked five decades of sobriety in December 2025.
  • Tom Holland said he stopped drinking in 2022 and noticed better sleep and mental clarity after quitting.
  • Anne Hathaway shared in April 2024 that she was more than five years sober and that the change improved her life.
  • Demi Lovato has been open about the ups and downs of addiction, publicly acknowledging a relapse after celebrating years of sobriety and later seeking help after a near-fatal overdose.
  • Dax Shepard was sober for many years before a 2020 relapse following a motorcycle accident, which he has discussed candidly.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis revealed a decade-long opioid addiction that began after a medical procedure and sought help in 1999, remaining sober since then.
  • Jason Biggs publicly marked milestones in his recovery, discussing how difficult sobriety can be while encouraging others to seek help.
  • Offset has shared that quitting codeine was prompted by family concerns and that sobriety changed his perspective.

The stories above show how many public figures have had complex, personal journeys with substance use and recovery. Blake Fielder-Civil's comments add one more perspective to the long, painful conversation about Amy Winehouse's life and death.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use or mental health, professional help is available.