Phil Collins Reveals His Children Were Called to Say Goodbye During Near-Fatal Health Crisis

Phil Collins is opening up about his struggle with addiction. In an interview with The Sunday Times, the Genesis rocker discussed his near-death experience in April 2024.

At the time, Collins was admitted to a hospital in Switzerland, and all five of his children traveled there to say their goodbyes.

“There were some decisions to be made about ‘Do we keep Phil on life support?’ kind of thing,” Collins said. “My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up. People were coming to say goodbye.”

“But I don’t remember them coming, I didn’t have no idea this was going on,” he continued. “They were all worried that they wouldn’t see me again. It could all have gone so terribly wrong.”

Phil Collins’ Past Alcohol Troubles

Collins’ trouble with alcohol dates back to his third divorce in 1999. Over the course of the next few years, Collins had incident on planes, fell down stairs, had an unsuccessful, week-long stint in rehab, and had to leave a family vacation and be flown to a U.S. hospital.

Eventually, in 2012, Collins wound up in the ICU with acute pancreatitis. Afterwards, Collins recovered and got sober.

However, things “went all wonky” in 2020 after the news broke that Collins’ ex-wife, with whom he’d reconciled, married another man while still living with him.

Collins said that he isn’t sure exactly when he started drinking again, because “when I was drinking the calendar goes out the window.” Essentially, though, “something happened and I stopped taking the Antabuse,” a drug that alcoholics take to induce illness if they drink.

“I resented the fact that I couldn’t drink,” he admitted, before recalling the time he departed rehab after one month. One the flight home from the clinic, Collins opened a bottle of wine.

“I’d have wine when I woke up. That was what I’d want for breakfast, a glass of wine,” he said of his life during the months that followed. “But I didn’t drink into the night, you know. So I wasn’t really aware of having a problem, to be honest.”

Flash forward to November 2023, and Collins was rushed back to the hospital. Though he was eventually discharged, he soon wound up back there weeks later. He went on to spend seven months in the hospital, leading to his near-death experience in April 2024.

“I was very lucky to have come out of that,” he said. “Needless to say, I haven’t had a drink since.”

Phil Collins’ Life Today

While he made it through that time, Collins’ health is still poor. The 75-year-old has issues with his pancreas and kidneys, he can only walk with crutches, he has nerve damage that prevents him from drumming, and he suffers from type 2 diabetes.

To help with all of his ailments, Collins now employs a 24/7 live-in nurse

Despite all of that, Collins said he lives a full life, complete with a healthy diet, chats with his nurse and physical therapist, and lots of time in front of the television. The only thing he misses, Collins said, is playing music.

“I wish I could play still. It’s been my life since I was given a drum kit at three,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to just do that.”

Photo by David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns