The father of singer Amy Winehouse said that his daughter had the prescription medication Librium in her system when she died of a seizure in July, according to media reports on Friday.
At a taping of a segment for journalist Anderson Cooper’s new talk show Anderson, which debuts today, Mitch Winehouse repeated past statements that his daughter had no illegal drugs in her system.
“What happened to Amy wasn’t anything to do with drugs,” he said. A video portion of the interview is posted on celebrity Web site TMZ.com.
The 27-year-old soul singer scored hits with such songs as Rehab and Back to Black, which was the title track of her smash hit 2006 album. But even as Winehouse rose to stardom, she battled drug and alcohol addiction.
When she died on July 23, it was widely assumed that substance abuse was the root cause. Toxicology results from an autopsy released by the family late last month showed no illegal substances and some alcohol, although how it contributed to her death was not made clear.
Mitch Winehouse told Cooper that the only drug in her system was a small amount of Librium, which is used to help people overcome alcohol detoxification.
The appearance on Cooper’s talk show Anderson is the Winehouse family’s first major TV interview since the British singer’s death at her home in London.
Across the English Channel, John Galliano was fined US$8,421 by a French court on Thursday after finding him guilty of anti-Semitic behavior, marking the end in a fall from grace for the former head designer of fashion house Dior.
For Galliano, whose worth is estimated in the millions of US dollars, the penalty — suspended for several years — avoids any financial burden and is unlikely to constrain his liberty.
The fine, in line with what a prosecutor had recommended in June, falls short of the maximum sentence in such cases of a US$30,000 fine and 6-month prison sentence.
“Despite the triple addiction from which he was suffering, he was lucid enough to be conscious of his acts,” said the tribunal president, Anne-Marie Sauteraud, reading out the court’s decision.
The court explained its relatively lenient decision by referring to Galliano’s lack of criminal convictions, his previous regard for respect and tolerance and the treatment for drug and alcohol addiction he has sought since his arrest.
She said Galliano had told the court he would have wanted to be present for the verdict, but did not attend to avoid another confrontation with the press.
Galliano, reported to have been through two rehabilitation programs, in Arizona and Switzerland, has made few public appearances since he appeared before a packed Parisian courthouse last June, speaking in a tiny voice about his triple addiction to alcohol, sleeping pills and tranquilizers.
Perhaps the designer should avoid emulating Mel Gibson’s latest move. A film about a Jewish hero being produced by Gibson, the actor who went on a public anti-Semitic tirade in 2006, drew sharp criticism on Friday from Jewish leaders who felt it was a slap in their faces.
Gibson’s company, Icon Productions, is developing the movie about Judah Maccabee in collaboration with the Time Warner Inc-owned Warner Bros studio, but his involvement could include directing as plans move forward.
But participation by Gibson in the film that is expected to bring to life the warrior who is associated with the celebration of Hanukkah is a problem for some Jewish leaders.
“As a hero of the Jewish people and a universal hero in the struggle for religious liberty, Judah Maccabee deserves better,” Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement.
Rabbi Marvin Hier of Los Angeles’ Simon Wiesenthal Center called Gibson’s involvement, “simply an insult to Jews.”
A Warner Bros spokesman said the film is still in early stages and a script has not been completed. No decision has been made about who would star in the film, he said.
The studio spokesman declined to comment on the criticism, and a representative for Gibson did not comment beyond confirming the Hollywood star’s participation.
Judah Maccabee was the son of a Jewish priest who in the 2nd century BC led a guerrilla revolt in Judea against armies of the Seleucid Empire. The historical figure, whose last name in Hebrew translates as “The Hammer,” is revered by many Jews. Hanukkah commemorates his triumphs.
Gibson was arrested for drunk driving in Malibu in 2006, and he ranted at the officer: “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” among other comments.
His arrest and tirade made headlines around the world. He later publicly apologized and attended self-help meetings.
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