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Lily Collins Has a Famous Dad, but Says She Doesn’t Use His Name as a “Free Pass”
Getty / Kevin Winter
Lily Collins is a star in her own right as the anchor of Netflix’s “Emily in Paris,” but she’s also Hollywood royalty on account of her famous parents: Phil and Jill Collins. That’s right, Lily is the daughter of the legendary musician/Genesis frontman and the American socialite. The 33-year-old maintains a close bond with her mother and consistently pens sweet birthday messages to her father every year, but she didn’t always have the best relationship with the latter.
In 2017, Lily wrote a memoir titled “Lily Collins Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me” where she, for the first time publicly, talked about how her father wasn’t around much when she was a kid. “Because my dad was often gone, I never wanted to do anything that would make him stay away even longer,” she wrote, per People. “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. I missed him and wanted him there.”
The “Emily in Paris” star concluded her open letter by clearing the air, adding, “I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected. I forgive the mistakes you made.” The two appear to be in a much better place today, per Lily’s Instagram page.
Despite having a famous dad, Lily recently denied using nepotism to her advantage and said she never wanted to have a leg up on others in the industry on account of her father’s reputation. “It was out of the question that people would think that I use a free pass thanks to my name,” she told Vogue France in her December 2022/January 2023 cover story, per ET Canada. “I’m proud of my dad, but I wanted to be me, not just his daughter. For that, I was ready to wait to break through.”
Scroll ahead to learn more about Lily’s parents and see their sweet family photos.
WireImage / Eamonn McCormack
Who Is Lily Collins's Father? Phil Collins
Phil Collins is best known as the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis – which released 15 studio albums between 1969 and 1997 and won a Grammy (out of five total nominations over the years) in 1988. During and following the success of his band, Phil pursued a solo career that resulted in him dropping nine albums of his own – which included hits like “In the Air Tonight” and a cover of The Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love.” The eight-time Grammy-winning musician is also responsible for working on soundtracks for films like “Tarzan,” “Brother Bear,” and “White Nights.”
Outside of his career, Phil has also been married and divorced three times. He first wed Andrea Bertorelli in England in 1975 and adopted her daughter, Joely, shortly after. They also welcomed their son, Simon, in 1976 before the former couple split four years later. Then, Phil married his second wife, Lily’s mother, Jill, in 1984 and the two welcomed their one and only daughter five years later. They separated in 1994 following cheating rumors before finalizing their divorce in 1996. In 1999, Phil married his third wife, Orianne Cevey, and welcomed two sons with her: Nicholas Collins in 2001, and Matthew Collins in 2004. Phil and Cevey then divorced in 2006.
Phil’s relationship with Lily was once estranged, but the two seem to have grown closer following the release of Lily’s 2017 memoir. In a March interview with Today, the actor recalled a moment during her childhood when she began to understand the magnitude of her father’s fame.
“I remember being a kid at Disneyland with my dad and having someone come up and ask him for a photo,” she shared. “And I think I was just so confused because I was, like, well, Disneyland has nothing to do with him. But it was that kind of recognition no matter where he went that he had touched the life of somebody in a very profound way.”
Getty / Todd Williamson
Who Is Lily Collins's Mother? Jill Collins
Jill Collins, formerly known as Jill Tavelman, rose to fame after marrying Phil in 1984, four years after he divorced his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli. Jill gave birth to her and Phil’s daughter, Lily, in 1989, but the former pair divorced in 1996 following cheating rumors between Phil and his former drama school classmate Lavinia Lang.
Jill briefly pursued an acting career when she had a cameo in 1988’s “Buster.” However, her real passion lies in being an antiques store owner. In 2014, she opened her storefront called Waverly on Doheny in West Hollywood, CA. She talked about her love for antiques in a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, which she says stemmed from her habit of collecting items as a child.
“I just didn’t understand the concept of throwing things away,” she said. “I’ve always matched people up with gifts that are really sentimental or hit the spot for them. And all of a sudden, I found myself with a lot of free time, because my daughter had grown up and was on her path. I had been doing different charity work for 20-some years . . . And I thought, ‘It’s time to do something for me, that I’m good at.'”
Even after her split from Phil, Jill has still attended red carpet and Hollywood events every now and then. She last accompanied Lily to the LA premiere of Prime Video’s “The Last Tycoon” in July 2017.
