Director claims Amy Winehouse had 'mental illness and brain damage'

Amy Winehouse
(Image credit: SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images)

Amy Winehouse's tragic story has outlived her, and the latest revelation in the wake of the media coverage following the release of Amy, director Asif Kapadia's Amy Winehouse documentary, seems only to be solidifying that point.

Kapadia recently told The Sun that he suspected the singer had brain damage following years of drug and alcohol abuse. "We can say she had a mental illness and brain damage that came from all the overdoses and seizures she had over the years. They definitely affected her brain. She wasn't thinking straight," he said. Winehouse, whose hits include "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good," was found dead in July 2011 of accidental alcohol poisoning.

"There was enough in her that she was making choices and people around her were making choices that, even if she hadn't become a huge star, there's still the potential she would have chosen that path," Kapadia said.

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Despite these upsetting revelations, the release of Amy also provides opportunities to remember Winehouse's extraordinary talent and spirit. Watch a clip from Amy of Winehouse in the studio below. Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.