December 19, 2007

Amy Winehouse Arrested For Interfering With Husband's Assault Case: Report

By Chris Harris (MTV.com)

Amy Winehouse's year has been filled with ups and even more downs, and on Tuesday (December 18), according to a Sky News report, the British songstress was arrested on suspicion of attempting to interfere with the court case involving her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil. He is awaiting trial in the U.K. on assault charges and had been additionally charged with trying to interfere with a witness in his assault case.

The charge against Winehouse, 24 - perverting the course of justice - is akin to interfering with a police investigation.

Police have not confirmed the Sky News report but did say that a 24-year-old woman was arrested during an appointment at a police station in East London in connection with an investigation into perverting the course of justice.

Reports surfaced over the weekend suggesting Winehouse might be called in for questioning about her husband's case and that there was a chance she would be arrested for her suspected role in the alleged witness-tampering incident.

The news comes on the heels of Winehouse's six Grammy nominations, including an Album of the Year nod for Back to Black.

It also caps what was no doubt a tumultuous 12 months for the singer, who has been a target of the tabloid media. Late last month, Winehouse scrapped all of her previously scheduled concerts and other public appearances for the remainder of the year at the behest of her doctors, who ordered her to take complete rest. Last week, however, her publicist confirmed to MTV News that the Grammy nominations had altered Winehouse's plans and that the singer was intending to go to the awards show. "Amy is grateful and excited about the nominations, and she is planning to attend [the ceremony]," Tracey Miller said.

In October, she was fined after police discovered marijuana in her hotel room in the Norwegian city of Bergen. She also called off a previous series of shows and appearances, reportedly so that the singer could seek treatment for drug addiction.

Recent Winehouse performances have not been well-received, according to reports, with some shows drawing boos from those in attendance. Last month, Winehouse arrived 45 minutes late to a gig at London's Hammersmith Apollo, where the crowd voiced its discontent before she even made it onstage, according to the BBC. Halfway through her set, a seemingly bored Winehouse reportedly walked offstage, leaving a backup singer to step forward and take control of lead-vocal duties. Winehouse looked unstable throughout the set, and at one point her beehive hairpiece nearly fell off, according to reports.