Phil Collins ‘Incredibly Close’ to Daughter Lily Amid His Health Battle: ‘Worked Through’ Differences

Lily Collins is full of praise for her dad, Phil Collins, and a source close to the reclusive rocker says it means the world to him as he continues to live life on the down low in the aftermath of his bitter divorce from third wife Orianne Cevey.

“Phil and Lily had their ups and downs when she was younger, she’s been very candid about that, but they’ve worked through it all and are incredibly close these days,” an insider exclusively tells Closer. “They don’t get to see each other as often as they might like because they live so far apart, but their bond is very strong and Phil couldn’t be more proud of her and all the success she’s having.”

On January 31, Lily, 36, announced that she and husband Charlie McDowell welcomed their first child together via surrogate.

“Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell. Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again…” the Emily in Paris actress captioned an Instagram post featuring a photo of her newborn daughter.

The insider says Phil, 74, was thrilled for his daughter amid the exciting news of expanding the family.

“He was one of the first people to get the news when her daughter was born, and as soon as they’re ready to travel Lily and little Tove will be heading to Europe for a visit with Phil,” the source adds. “His health is still a struggle but he’s not nearly as down and out as people might think and he’s actually back in his home studio making new music. He’s not able to play the drums anymore but his son Nic is a fantastic drummer and is collaborating with Phil so there’s great hope that a new album will be coming soon.”

But their relationship wasn’t always so strong. In March 2017, Lily wrote a letter to her dad in her book of essays, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, forgiving him for the mistakes he made when she was growing up.

“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. I missed him and wanted him there.”

A lot has changed in their lives since then. The Genesis singer previously opened up about experiencing health issues in February and how it has impacted his music career.

“I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens,” Phil told MOJO. “But I’m not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I’ve been sick, I mean very sick…”

In the 2024 documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First, Phil’s son Nic Collins, who is a drummer, spoke about how his father suffered injuries from decades of drumming.

“I know he wishes he could sit behind a [drum] kit and just play the way he could,” Nic said. “It is what it is. And what I can do with that is just learn and even when I set up the concert kit, I have to set it up differently because I’m like, ‘I can’t go down that road. No, there’s no way.’”

Phil, who underwent back surgery in 2015 after suffering a 2007 spinal injury, said that his health caused him to take a step back from performing.

“If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything,” the musician, who is a dad of five, said in the documentary. “If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I will have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”