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Phil Collins recalls near-death experience due to alcohol addiction: 'People came to say goodbye'
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Phil Collins recalls near-death experience due to alcohol addiction: 'People came to say goodbye'

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Phil Collins recalled a near-fatal experience in 2024 due to his alcohol addiction, during which his manager called his children to say goodbye.
  • The musician described his addiction, including drinking upon waking, and his initial unawareness of the problem despite previous rehabilitation attempts.
  • Collins expressed gratitude for surviving and has remained sober since the incident, though his addiction had previously strained relationships with his family.

Musician Phil Collins has opened up about a harrowing period in 2024 when his battle with alcohol addiction brought him to the brink of death. In a recent interview with the British edition of The Times, Collins recounted how his addiction spiraled, leading to severe health complications and strained family relationships.

When I drank, time slipped through my fingers.

— Phil CollinsDescribing the impact of his alcohol addiction on his perception of time.

He described the extent of his dependency, admitting, "When I drank, time slipped through my fingers." Collins revealed that he would drink wine upon waking, consuming it for breakfast. Despite multiple stints in rehabilitation, he confessed to not fully recognizing the severity of his problem at the time. One particularly critical hospitalization in Switzerland saw him in intensive care, largely unconscious, with his kidneys failing and organs shutting down.

I took wine when I woke up. That's what I wanted for breakfast, a glass of wine. But I didn't drink at night, you know? So, to be honest, I wasn't aware of having a problem.

— Phil CollinsExplaining the daily routine and his initial denial of his alcohol problem.

So dire was his condition that his manager, fearing the worst, contacted his five children to bid farewell. "People were coming to say goodbye," Collins recalled, adding that he had no awareness of these events. He acknowledged the immense worry his family experienced, fearing they might never see him alive again. "Everything could have gone terribly wrong," he admitted.

My kidneys were failing, my organs were shutting down.

— Phil CollinsRecounting the critical state of his health during his hospitalization.

Collins expressed profound gratitude for surviving this ordeal and has maintained his sobriety since. "I was incredibly lucky to get out of that unscathed. I don't even need to say it, but I haven't had a drink since then," he stated. While his addiction caused significant health issues, including damage to his pancreas and kidneys, it also impacted his relationships, notably with his daughter, Lily Collins, who wrote about forgiving him for his past absences in her 2017 book. Despite past difficulties, he and Lily maintain a close relationship, and she offered him full support during his recovery.

People were coming to say goodbye. But I don't remember them coming, I had no idea what was going on. Everyone was worried they wouldn't see me again. Everything could have gone terribly wrong.

— Phil CollinsRecalling the moments when his life was in critical danger and his family gathered.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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