Phil Collins Reflects on His Three Marriages and the Family That Came From Them

Music legend Phil Collins, 75, is looking back on his personal life and the three marriages that ended in divorce.

During an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Friday, Oct. 2, Collins was asked whether he had any regrets at this stage of his life. The singer and drummer turned to his relationships.

“I regret, to some extent, I have to say, I regret my marriages falling apart,” Collins said. “Sometimes I jumped. Well, one time I jumped. Two times I was pushed. But I wouldn’t have written it like that.”

Despite the painful experiences, Collins said his marriages also gave him something for which he remains deeply grateful: his five children.

“I got five fantastic kids that I wouldn’t have if that hadn’t happened, so I have to balance it,” he said.

Collins was first married to Andrea Bertorelli from 1975 to 1980. They share daughter Joely, 54, and son Simon, 50.

In 1984, Collins married Jill Tavelman, with whom he welcomed daughter Lily Collins, now 37. They divorced in 1996.

He married Orianne Cevey in 1999. The couple separated in 2008, later reconciled and ultimately ended their relationship for good in 2020. They share sons Nic, 25, and Matthew, 21.

“I didn’t want to be married three times”

Collins told Morgan that he has always tried to be present in his children’s lives, while acknowledging that having three marriages end was never part of his plan.

“I didn’t want to be married three times,” he said. “You don’t go into life thinking like that.”

Looking back at his first marriage, Collins said his relationship with Bertorelli suffered because of his demanding schedule with Genesis.

The band was touring extensively during the late 1970s, including several tours of the United States, Europe and Japan.

“I was gone, and we grew apart,” Collins said.

He also acknowledged that he did not treat Tavelman well during their marriage. His comments came while discussing his relationship with Lily, who wrote in her 2017 memoir about feeling that she did not see her father as often as she would have liked while growing up.

Collins said reading her account was painful, but the two have since repaired their relationship.

Reconnecting with his children

Collins said he and all five of his children shared a particularly emotional Christmas dinner last year, describing the gathering as “moving.”

He recalled hearing his children talk about fears that they might never see him again during his health struggles. Lily became emotional as she spoke about her own daughter, Tove, whom she welcomed in January 2025 with husband Charlie McDowell.

“She said, ‘I never thought that my child would get to know her grandfather,’” Collins recalled.

The family has since become closer, with everyone participating in a group chat where they share updates, talk about football and support one another.

“It’s like a real family,” Collins said.

Preparing for Rock Hall induction

Collins is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in November. However, he has acknowledged that performing again may not be possible.

The musician revealed that he has not played the drums in about 15 years and does not even keep a drum kit at home.

Collins has also faced a number of health challenges in recent years, including serious problems involving his knees and kidneys that required dialysis.

In May, however, he said he was feeling “healthier now than I have been for quite a while.”