Emily in Paris star Lily Collins' turbulent relationship with dad Phil Collins explained
Emily in Paris star Lily Collins is a huge star in her own right, with an impressive filmography as a film star before landing the lead role in the incredibly popular Netflix series. However, Lily has some very famous roots and is the daughter of legendary musician Phil Collins. The pair have been candid about their complicated relationship over the years, so find out more here…
Lily is the daughter of Phil and his second wife, Jill Tavelman. The pair divorced when Lily was five years old, and the star has been very candid about the difficulties she faced growing up, which largely centered on Phil's absence from her childhood as she lived with her mother in Los Angeles while Phil was based in the UK and Switzerland.
In her 2017 memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, she wrote: "I forgive you for not always being there when I needed you and for not being the dad I expected. I forgive the mistakes you made. And although it may seem like it’s too late, it’s not. There’s still so much time to move forward.
"We all make choices and, although I don’t excuse some of yours, at the end of the day, we can’t rewrite the past. I’m learning how to accept your actions and vocalize how they made me feel. I accept and honor the sadness and anger I felt toward the things you did or didn’t do, did or didn’t give me."
She added: "He may have still been alive, but most of the time it felt as if he were completely gone. I knew he loved me, yet he wasn't physically around to tell me."
In her memoir, Lily also spoke about her struggles with an eating disorder and how she felt they were connected to her parents' divorce, saying: "Not only did I start viewing myself differently physically, but I began limiting my happiness by controlling my eating habits.
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"I couldn’t handle the pain and confusion surrounding my dad’s divorce, and I was having a hard time balancing being a teenager with pursuing two different grown-up careers… Many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad."
However, the pair have grown closer over the years, with Phil openly praising his daughter and showing his support for her, including attending the premiere of Emily in Paris. Speaking about her to The Insider with Yahoo back in 2016, he said: "She is now in the public eye and has to put up with all that kind of stuff, and she can’t keep [relationship] stuff private anymore. When I started in this industry, there was no Internet. Now things rattle all over the world.
"She is getting used to it. She just is remarkable. I really believe she can do anything she wants to. Anything she sets her mind to. She’s very grounded, knows what she wants to do. She’s done it without me. All I said to her was be careful what you say."
Speaking on the Today Show about whether they discuss their work lives with one another, Lily said: "I don’t. I mean, he says obviously that, you know, he’s proud, but we don’t really talk about that side of things. I share my work, but I think I’ve witnessed and learned and grew from what I saw as a kid and continue to still see, and we kind of keep it separate."
The star has gone on to regularly praise her dad, including celebrating his birthday with a sweet post back in January. Sharing a throwback photo of the pair skiing, she wrote: "Happy birthday, Dad! Whether on a wintery slope adventure or a clear day on Lake Geneva, you were always my ski wingman. Love you to the top of the highest mountain and to the bottom of the deepest wave. Celebrating and hugging you from here BIG TIME."
