Amy Winehouse's Autopsy Report Has Some Heartbreaking Details

The following article includes mentions of substance abuse, disordered eating, and depression.

When the tragic news about Amy Winehouse's death broke in July 2011, people were grief-stricken and shocked, yet, at the same time, sadly, not surprised. Given Amy's public battle with heroin and crack cocaine use, many assumed the singer had died from a drug overdose. However, they were proved wrong after Amy's autopsy report was released — which included some absolutely heartbreaking details.

The toxicology report found no illegal substances in Amy's system. This fit with Mitch Winehouse's insistence that his daughter had been clean from drugs for three years prior to her death. Still, he explained to Newsbeat (via the BBC) that Amy replaced her addiction to drugs with shopping and exercising. "Then it was drinking, and unfortunately, that's not quite so easy to overcome," he said. 

Amy was working hard on her substance abuse disorder before she died. Still, she obviously relapsed, as alcohol was detected in Amy's blood. However, "it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death," a rep for the family said in a statement in August 2011 (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Ultimately, the coroner's report listed alcohol toxicity as the primary cause of death, which was "by misadventure" . The inquest revealed Amy was discovered by her bodyguard, alone in her apartment in Camden, London. She was fully clothed, lying on her bed, surrounded by empty bottles of vodka on the floor. Her doctor testified that Amy hadn't drunk for three weeks but started again three days before dying.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

In 2013, it was discovered that the coroner, Suzanne Greenaway, who'd overseen Amy Winehouse's inquest, wasn't qualified to conduct them. A second was held, but it ended with the same result. Dr. Shirley Radcliffe determined no foul play had occurred and recorded a verdict of "death by misadventure." Radcliffe also listed "alcohol toxicity" as the primary cause of death, noting the empty vodka bottles on the floor. "She voluntarily consumed alcohol, a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn in that it caused her death," Radcliffe said.

Many of the same details from the first inquest were repeated: Amy's blood level was more than five times over the UK's legal drink-driving limit of 80 milligrams per 100 milliliters. The singer's was 416 per 100, which, Radcliffe explained, was a potentially deadly level and enough to cause a person to slip into a coma.

Amy's general practitioner, Dr. Christina Romete, swore in a written statement that Amy had not intentionally taken her own life. In fact, she had seen her just the night before, and "she specifically said she did not want to die," Romete insisted (via BBC). Meanwhile, following her verdict, Radcliffe expressed great sadness at the loss of "a talented woman at such a young age." 

Amy's parents declined to attend the second inquiry "I'm not putting my family through it again," Mitch told The Evening Standard."Right now I'd say I won't go. And the result will be just the same."

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Amy Winehouse's battle with substance abuse disorder made her a prime candidate for joining the litany of celebrities who died before reaching 30. Even more tragically, the age when she died meant she was also added to the so-called "27 Club," joining Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, among others.

The inquiry determined "alcohol toxicity" as the cause of the singer's demise. However, Amy's brother, Alex Winehouse, believes something else led to her death. The documentary "Amy" (via Elle) revealed she'd developed bulimia in her mid-teens. She apparently told her parents that she'd been making herself vomit after eating. Still, they'd thought it was a fad she'd grow out of eventually. That wasn't the case, though, as evidenced by the many photos of Amy over the years, where she alternated from being more curvy to being unhealthily skinny. Her eating disorder continued right up until the end, weakening her body considerably as she starved herself of nutrients.

Alex claimed that Amy's eating disorder played a significant role in her death — if not the primary cause. "She suffered from bulimia very badly ... I think that it left her weaker and more susceptible," he told The Guardian in June 2013. "Had she not had an eating disorder, she would have been physically stronger." In honor of his sister, Alex now runs the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which acts as her legacy and works to "prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people."

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).