Inside Phil Collins' Family Life: All About His Ex-Wives and 5 Children

Phil Collins' family life has seen nearly as many twists and turns as his long-running music career.

The former Genesis lead vocalist, 75, has been married three times and is the father of five children: Joely Collins, 53; Simon Collins, 49; Lily Collins, 37; Nicholas Collins, 25; and Mathew Collins, 21. Though all three of his marriages ended in divorce, he has remained a dedicated father to his kids, several of whom have followed in his creative footsteps.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Phil revealed his five children were called to his hospital bedside in 2024 when he became critically ill amid his struggles with alcoholism.

"Because there were some decisions to be made about 'Do we keep Phil on life support?' kind of thing," he shared. "My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up. People were coming to say goodbye..."

Phil said he does not remember his kids being gathered at his bedside during the frightening health scare.

"They were all worried that they wouldn't see me again," he said. "It could have gone terribly wrong… I was very lucky to have come out of that. Needless to say, I haven't had a drink since."

Following his recent revelation about the near-death hospitalization, here's everything to know about Phil's family life.

Phil married his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, in 1975, years after they met as performers at the Barbara Speake Stage School in West London when they were 11. They welcomed two children, Joely and Simon, before they divorced in 1980.

The end of their marriage soon influenced the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee's hit song "In the Air Tonight."

"I'm not quite sure what the song is about, but there's a lot of anger, a lot of despair, and a lot of frustration," he told Rolling Stone in 2016. "Nobody knows what the song is about, and I kind of like the mystery."

According to Andrea, Phil's touring and recording schedule affected their marriage.

"When we were first married, Phil was content being a family man," she told Daily Express in 1994. "But his priorities shifted from family to career. He left to go on tour the day after our son Simon was born."

Following their divorce, Andrea "embarked on a new chapter" of her life in Vancouver before relocating to Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada. She published the Salt Spring Island Women's Preserve and Protect calendar in 2001, according to her blog.

In his 2016 memoir Not Yet Dead: The Memoir, Phil admitted he was disappointed to have been married three times but "more disappointed that [he has] been divorced three times."

Andrea sued the "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" hitmaker for his portrayal of her in the book, saying it included "attacks on [her] character and integrity."

"[Phil's memoir contained] a number of wholly false statements about myself and my marriage to Phil which have not only seriously damaged my reputation, but have also caused me considerable distress," she said in the filing.

Two years later, Andrea moved to County Kerry, Ireland, where she still resides with her three fur babies.

Phil met his future second wife, Jill Tavelman, at Hollywood's Rainbow Bar on the Sunset Strip in 1980. They tied the knot in 1984 and welcomed Lily — their only child — before their split in 1994.

The ex-couple finalized their divorce in 1996.

"When we married I thought he would want to spend more time at home, but the reality isn't like that ... he's a workaholic," Jill told Daily Express.

At the time of the split, a rumor that the drummer had asked Jill for a divorce by fax became widespread.

"[It] really hurt my career, or my public persona," Phil told ABC News of the fax rumor. "And it was based on an untruth … So, I just thought it would be an opportunity just to lay it all out, and if I say it didn't happen, I'm trusting that people will believe me."

Jill, who previously worked as a teacher and an architect, opened an antique store in West Hollywood, Calif., in 2014. She has a close relationship with the Emily in Paris actress.

Phil was still legally married to Jill when he met Orianne Cevey, who is 23 years his junior, while she was working as his interpreter during his 1994 tour in Switzerland. The pair got engaged in 1997 and tied the knot two years later.

They welcomed two sons, Nicholas and Mathew, before filing for divorce in 2006. Their divorce was finalized in 2008, with Orianne reportedly receiving a $46.68 million settlement.

Although Orianne later remarried, she and Phil eventually reconciled in 2016 and rekindled their relationship for several years before ultimately calling it quits for good in 2020.

In 2022, Orianne lost a $20 million lawsuit against Phil after seeking half of the proceeds from the sale of their former Miami estate in a case she filed in January 2021.

Phil and Andrea welcomed their first daughter, Joely, via adoption on August 8, 1972.

The Vancouver-born star followed her father into the entertainment industry as an actress, producer and director.

After studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Joely starred in several TV shows and films, including Madison, Neon Rider, Deadly Sins, Diamond Girl and The Final Cut. She then founded Million Faces Productions in 2015.

Joely married her husband, Stefan Buitelaar, in 2008, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Zoë Amelie, in 2008.

Born in London on September 14, 1976, Simon followed in his father's musical footsteps and made a name for himself as a drummer after growing up around Phil and Genesis.

"Genesis had a deep impact on my life," Simon said in an interview with Hot Press. "Growing up around such amazing musicians, and such kind and lovely people, definitely got me in the mood for [progressive rock]."

In addition to fronting the progressive rock band Sound of Contact, Simon has released six albums, with Becoming Human arriving in 2020 as his most recent release.

Phil and Jill's only daughter, Lily, was born on March 18, 1989.

The Golden Globe-winning actress reflected on her relationship with Phil in the 2017 autobiography, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me.

"Because my dad was often gone, I never wanted to do anything that would make him stay away even longer," she wrote. "I became extra careful about what I said and how I said it, afraid he'd think I was angry or didn't love him. And the truth is, I was angry."

She continued, "I missed him and wanted him there. I've realized that many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad. It's taken me over a decade to resolve some of them (others I'm still resolving) and to finally build up the courage to speak my mind to him."

Lily also wrote about how her parents' split led her to begin "limiting [her] happiness by controlling [her] eating habits."

After making an early TV appearance in the BBC series Growing Pains at age 2, Lily continued to act before landing her breakthrough role in the Oscar-nominated film The Blind Side. She also starred in Mirror Mirror, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Rules Don't Apply before taking on the titular role in the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris.

The Abduction actress wed Charlie McDowell — the son of actors Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen — in 2021. They welcomed their first child, daughter Tove Jane McDowell, via surrogate in January 2025.

Phil and Orianne welcomed Nicholas, who goes by Nic, on April 21, 2001.

Like his older half-brother, Nic developed an interest in drumming when he was just 2 years old and later joined Phil's solo tour as part of his live band in 2017. He also performed with The Effect before leaving the group in 2024 and later joining Better Strangers.

Nic announced his engagement to Isabella Serralles in a July Instagram post.

Phil's youngest child, Mathew, was born in 2005.

Mathew took a different path from his family's music and acting careers, choosing to pursue sports instead. He is now a professional soccer player for the German soccer club 1860 Munich, per ESPN.