Neil Patrick Harris has issued an apology for a joke that he made about Amy Winehouse’s death.
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The singer passed away aged 27 from alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011. Three months after her death, Harris and his husband David Burtka hosted a Halloween party which featured a food platter decorated to look like “the corpse of Amy Winehouse”.
After the photo resurfaced on social media 11 years later (via BuzzFeed), Harris released a statement apologising for the “regrettable” joke.
In a statement issued to Entertainment Weekly, Harris said: “A photo recently resurfaced from a Halloween-themed party my husband and I hosted 11 years ago. It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I’m sorry for any hurt this image caused.”
Winehouse released two albums – 2003’s ‘Frank’ and 2006’s ‘Back To Black’ – which were both critically acclaimed. Following her death, a posthumous compilation ‘Lioness: Hidden Treasures’ was released in 2011.
Her death and struggles with substance abuse have been the subject of numerous documentaries, including 2015 biopic Amy from director Asif Kapadia, which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Winehouse’s Glastonbury performance from 2007 is set to be released on vinyl next month, to mark the show’s 15th anniversary.
In a statement announcing the release, Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said: “Amy Winehouse was a Glastonbury-goer through and through. She either came and played or, when she wasn’t working, came and camped.
“She played in the blistering heat and the heavy rain, and there were so many magical moments to her performances.”
This year’s Glastonbury festival kicks off next month on June 22, with headliners Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar.
