Former Genesis frontman Phil Collins met Orianne Cevey in 1994 when he was on tour in Switzerland. She was 21. He was 44. They got engaged in 1997, got married in '99, had 2 kids, then split up in 2006, where she received a record-setting $46.7 million settlement.
Ten years later, the couple announced they were back together, living with the kids, and all, it seemed, was well.
Then in August, Cevey broke up with Collins again via text message, informing him that she had apparently gone to Vegas and married a businessman / musician 15 years her junior.
And now — according to a lawsuit filed by Collins — Cevey and her new husband, Tom Bates, are allegedly living in his $33 million dollar Miami beachfront mansion. And they've hired four armed guards to protect them. According to the Miami Herald:
The new couple are "threatening, implicitly and explicitly, to prolong their unlawful occupation of the property through force," the filing states. "An injunction is urgently needed to end an armed occupation and takeover of the Phil Collins home by his ex girlfriend and her new husband, the defendants in the action."
In the complaint, Collins also is concerned about his memorabilia, including multiple awards and instruments. He believes that there is a "substantial risk that Mrs. Bates or Mr. Bates or their agents will remove, conceal or destroy valuable and irreplaceable personal property."
Jeffrey Fisher, Collins' attorney, gave a statement to the Miami Herald: "Mrs. Bates, as she is now known, is trying to shake down Phil Collins for money, and as his attorney and former federal prosecutor, I have zero tolerance for that type of behavior. I'm going to use every legal remedy to get her out of the house."
Cevey's lawyer Frank Maister did not respond to an email Friday but told the Miami Herald earlier this week that they had no comment about the case.
I can feel something coming in the air tonight, that's for sure.
Phil Collins wants to end ex wife's 'armed occupation' of his mansion, suits says [Madeleine Marr / Miami Herald]
Phil Collins sues ex-wife and her new husband, wants them out of his house [Yi-Jin Yu and Diana Dasrath / Today]
Image: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
