Who Are Phil Collins' Children?
Phil Collins will go down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, drummers in all of rock 'n' roll history. Born in England in 1951, Collins gained fame as the drummer for prog-rock band Genesis, which has itself been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and then later, through his extensive and award-winning solo career.
Collins' personal life has not escaped the notice of the British press. In 2008, Collins divorced his wife, Orianne Cevey, paying her a £25 million (approximately $32.7 million) settlement, at the time the largest in British celebrity history (via The Guardian). Cevey was actually Collins' third wife; he'd been married twice before and had been in other relationships that did not result in marriage. Similarly, his two other divorces also cost him millions — between his three divorces, he's paid out an estimated £42 million (approximately $55 million). Through the course of his three marriages, Collins has fathered four children and adopted one.
Joely Collins is an actress
Joely Collins is the only of Phil Collins' children who isn't biologically his. She was born Joely Meri Bertorelli in Canada in 1972 to mother Andrea Bertorelli, according to Global News. When Phil married Andrea in 1975, he legally adopted his wife's daughter from a previous relationship.
Since the early 1990s, Joely has worked steadily in television and films, according to her IMDb resume, most recently in the 2020 film "Brahms: The Boy II." Much of her work has been in Canadian productions, including her 57-episode run on the acclaimed drama "Cold Squad." In 2009, Joely made her father a grandfather when she gave birth to daughter Zoë, as the Daily Mail reported at the time.
In 2013, Joely thanked her dad for inspiring her to get where she is in life. "My dad's a really, really hard worker. I'm able to dream big because I've seen what's possible," she said, per Global News.
Simon is a musician
Simon Collins was born in London in 1976 (per the Collins estate), the first of Phil's biological children and the second born to his then-wife, Andrea Bertorelli. (Simon's sister, Joely, was born to Andrea and her biological father prior to Andrea's marriage to Phil.)
Having a famous rock star as a father has its perks, and for Simon, those included traveling around the world with his father on tour and, by extension, learning to play rock 'n' roll (per Closer Weekly). Simon followed his father not just into rock but also into prog rock, forming Sound of Contact and performing for years with the band (per the Daily Mail). In 2008, Toledo Blade writer Bridget Tharp compared Simon's vocals to that of his father, saying they sound similar, although the younger man's music was described as "softer."
In 2021, Simon told the Daily Mail that when he was on tour with his father, even though he was a competent drummer, he never got to perform the striking drum break that his father made famous in "In the Air Tonight." "That's his moment. I couldn't compete with that," he said.
Lily Jane Collins
Lily Collins was born in England in 1989, the first and only child of Phil's second marriage to Jill Tavelman, according to Grazia. Like her half-sister Joely, Lily made it big in acting, racking up a lengthy and impressive list of movie and TV credits (per IMDb). Most recently, you've probably seen her in the Netflix series "Emily in Paris."
Lily has always been clear that her relationship with her father has had its ups and downs. For example, she wrote that she resented her father being away for long periods of time on tour, writing (per Grazia), "The truth is, I was angry. I missed him and wanted him there. I've realized that many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad." However, on Phil's 70th birthday, she wrote glowing praise for her father, writing, "Words aren't enough to express how much love and pride I have for you."
Nicholas Collins is a musician
Nicholas Collins was born in 2001, the first of two sons born to Phil and his third wife, Orianne Cevey. Nic, as he prefers to go by, took a page out of his half-brother Simon's book and followed Phil into rock 'n' roll. However, while Simon formed his own band (which very much was inspired by Phil's old band, Genesis), Nic followed his dad's footsteps almost literally, backing up his father behind the kit while the Genisis star handled lead vocals.
In 2017, Nic told Rolling Stone that learning his dad's drum parts was easy peasy. "I've been really exposed to my father's music my entire life, so it's second nature," he said. One bit that came particularly easy to him was the famed "In the Air Tonight" drum break, although he admitted that he had butterflies in his stomach while performing it at the U.S. Open.
Matthew Collins was (or is) a soccer player
Matthew Collins was born some time around 2006 (it was in January 2021 that the Daily Mail reported his age as 15), the second child of Phil's marriage to Orianne Cevey, per Smooth Radio. As Closer Weekly reports, the young lad has generally stayed out of the spotlight, although he's joined his father at red carpet events and has been spotted with him at NBA games.
In January 2021, Matthew's half-brother Simon told the Daily Mail that even though there are three mothers and two fathers between them and there has been some bad blood between Phil and the women, the five siblings all get along swimmingly. "There's no sibling rivalry," he said, listing the accomplishments of his siblings, who are old enough to have careers. As for Matt, Simon said that the lad is "an amazing footballer" (British for "an amazing soccer player"), although he didn't mention if his half-brother is in development for a professional team or simply enjoys playing recreationally.