Amy Winehouse was found dead in bed and may have been there for up to six hours.
The British singer passed away at her home in Camden, London, on Saturday, aged 27. There has been intense speculation about how she died, with a post-mortem set to take place today.
Her PR spokesperson Chris Goodman has spoken out, revealing it was her bodyguard who discovered her body.
“Amy was on her own at home apart from a security guard who we had appointed to help look after her over the past couple of years,” he told British newspaper The Sun.
“She was in her bedroom after saying she wanted to sleep and when he went to wake her he found she wasn't breathing. He called the emergency services straight away. He was very shocked. At this stage no-one knows how she died. She died alone in bed.”
According to the publication, paramedics who were called to the scene believe Amy had been dead for a while before she was discovered.
She had undergone a highly-publicised battle with drink and drugs, and yesterday there were claims she had bought a cocktail of substances the evening before her death. That idea has now been dismissed, with speculation she may have passed away after an alcohol binge.
“Rigor mortis had set in indicating she is likely to have been dead for anything up to six hours,” a source explained.
“There were no empty bottles, syringes, crack pipes or anything like that. It's not believed she had vomited.
“Her health was in a very bad state and she had been admitted to hospital by ambulance on a regular basis suffering seizures. Her nervous system was shot to pieces. The last time she was taken to hospital was about two weeks ago after the collapse of her latest tour. She was found in the street and taken to a private London clinic.”
Amy spent time in rehab on several occasions throughout her life, most recently a week-long stint in The Priory clinic in London. That was shortly before she went on tour in Europe, although the shows were eventually cancelled after she gave a shambolic appearance in Serbia.
Chris admits Amy had been struggling lately, saying she “lapsed” over the last month but was still generally well. The star underwent a medical examination on Friday and she was deemed to be healthy. She apparently had weekly visits from her medic, arranged by her record company in a bid to keep her well.
Amy has been dating film director Reg Traviss for the last few months, although it’s thought they weren’t together at the time of her death. She was said to be devastated after their split, and was struggling to get over him.
Amy’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil is currently serving a prison sentence, but has been informed of her death. The pair had a tumultuous relationship, with Amy’s family blaming him for her drug addiction. He’s described himself as “beyond inconsolable”, with his mother Georgette saying she now wishes she’d done more to help Amy battle her demons.
The singer’s family released a statement saying they felt “bereft” yesterday. They are preparing for the funeral, which will be held as soon as possible after the post-mortem in keeping with Jewish tradition.
Amy had been working on her eagerly anticipated third album, a follow-up to 2006’s Back to Black when she died. It’s thought that record will be released at some point, with Grammy award winning Back to Black topping the iTunes chart across the globe in the wake of her passing.
