Phil Collins Reflects on Career and Family Struggles

Clear Facts

• Phil Collins, 75, discussed his personal regrets on Piers Morgan Uncensored, specifically the impact of his touring schedule on three failed marriages.
• Collins stated, “To some extent, I have to say I regret my marriages falling apart,” and noted he was absent during his first marriage due to extensive Genesis tours.
• Despite the marital breakdowns, he emphasized his commitment to his five children and the positive relationship he now maintains with daughter Lily Collins.

Phil Collins is speaking plainly about the personal cost of a long music career. In a recent interview, the 75-year-old musician addressed how constant touring and time away from home strained his relationships.

He reflected on three marriages that ended in divorce. Collins explained the toll of being absent and how it contributed to the separations.

“To some extent, I have to say I regret my marriages falling apart,” he said.

“Sometimes I jumped. Well, one time I jumped, two times I was pushed. But I wouldn’t have written it like that. But on the other hand, I’ve got five fantastic kids that I wouldn’t have if that hadn’t happened. So I have to balance it.”

Collins described his first marriage to Andrea Bertorelli, which lasted from 1975 to 1980. He said the separation occurred because he was rarely home, touring with Genesis across multiple continents.

“Genesis did, in one year, I think, three American tours, two European tours, and a tour of Japan. And when I ended up getting separated from my first wife, the guys in the band said, ‘Well, why didn’t you tell us? We’d have stopped it.’ But that’s easy to say in retrospect,” he said.

“I was gone, and we grew apart.”

Collins went on to marry Jill Tavelman in 1984 and Orianne Cevey in 1999, both ending in divorce. He stressed that he never intended to marry three times and always tried to remain present for his children.

His daughter Lily Collins, known for her role in Emily in Paris, has spoken publicly about their relationship. In her memoir, she wrote about learning to accept and forgive past absences.

“I’m learning how to accept your actions and vocalize how they made me feel,” she wrote. “I accept and honor the sadness and anger I felt toward the things you did or didn’t do, did or didn’t give me. I forgive you for not always being there when I needed it, for not being the dad I expected. I forgive the mistakes you made. And although it may seem like it’s too late, it’s not. There’s still so much time to move forward.”

Today, Lily Collins shares public messages of gratitude and affection for her father. She recently celebrated his 75th birthday and posted tributes on Father’s Day, highlighting the strong bond they now share.

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