Mathew Thomas Clemence, “Matthew Collins”, is one of the 5 children of Phil Collins and an English football enthusiast. The 19-year-old has not given himself to the public through his career as much as his father has done through music in the last 61. However, the path that Phil Collins has chosen himself has equally dragged Clemence to fame as a celebrity kid.
His father, Phil is one of the most adorned musicians of all time. He is best known for his songs such as One More Night and Another in Paradise and for being the frontman of “Genesis”.
Most Fascinating Facts about the Last Child of Phil Collins
1. He was Born From the Last of the 3 Marriages of Collins
Known as Matthew Collins, the youngest son of Phil Collins was born on December 1, 2004.
His father had been married 3 times and Matthew’s mother, a Swiss national, Orianne Cevey was Phil’s 3rd wife. They were married from 1999 until their divorce in 2006.
Prior to the time that they tied the knot, Phil was married to Andrea Bertorelli from 1975 to 1980 and to Jill Tavelman from 1984 to 1996.
2. Why Mathew Thomas Clemence Chose Football Instead of Music
Music has been deeply rooted in the family of the younger Collins, but he chose to nurture football instead.
Although there is barely any information about the career he is cultivating, it seems he intends to take it to a professional level.
Well, his picking sport over music may have been influenced by interest as well as his immediate older brother, Nicholas Collins.
His brother Nic played football while in Switzerland before relocating to Florida after the divorce of their parents. Currently, Nicholas has joined their father in music and plays drums for his father’s band, Genesis after learning the art from Jean-Pierre Espiritusanto.
3. All of Matthew Collins’ 4 Siblings are Entertainers
Joely Collins is His Adopted Sister and an Actress
Matthew’s eldest sibling is Joely. She was born on August 8 1972 in Canada to Phil’s first wife, Andrea Bertorelli from another relationship. However, his father adopted her after their marriage in 1975.
Joely Collins, 52, attended The Vancouver Youth Theatre in Canada and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. At present, she is an actress famed for roles in Brahms: The Boy II (2020), Coded (2015), Becoming Redwood (2012), What Could Have Benn (2011), Dead Zone (2005), and Madison (1997) among others.
His Half Brother Simon Collins is a Musician
Simon is a musician with a career as the lead vocalist of the rock band “Sound of Contact”. He has recorded many songs like Becoming Human (2020), Unconditional (2008), and Pride (1999). Also with his band, he is responsible for the albums U-Catastrophe (2008), Time for Truth (2005), and All of Who You Are (1999).
The 47 years older brother of the celebrity kid and the eldest son of Phil was born on September 14, 1976, in London, England, to Canadian Andrea and her then-husband, the Genesis frontman.
Lily Collins is an Actress, Model, and Wife of Filmmaker, Charlie McDowell
Born Lilly Jane Collins, the older half-sibling of Matthew Collins is a British-American actress, model, and the spouse of director and writer, Charlie McDowell.
She was born in 1989 and started a showbiz career in the early 1990s when she was 2 in Growing Pains. She further appeared in Mirror Mirror (2012), The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) Rules Don’t Aplly (2016), and Emily in Paris.
Lily, also a model, is the only sibling of the young football enthusiast that was born from their father’s second marriage to the American Jill Tavelman.
Nicholas Collins is a Drummer
Nic is a drummer and the only sibling of Matthew that shares the same stage as their father with the band “Genesis”. He also plays for his own band, Better Strangers.
The drummer started to professionally play for Phil’s band at the age of 15 in 2017 after their father suffered nerve damage, took a break, and subsequently made a comeback.
The 23 years old Nic, born on April 21, 2001, is the only sibling of Mathew Thomas Clemence who shares the same mother and father.
4. His Mother has Reportedly Been Involved in a Relationship with a Stripper
Orianne Cevey, mother of Matthew Thomas Clemence supposedly had an affair with a stripper, Preston Thompson. The affair was said to have lasted for about 14 months while she was still married to Phil Collins.
It has also been alleged that Cevey would pay for the services of Thompson and added this with other benefits.
Rather than having the said relationship under wraps, Thompson had opened up to the media that Cevey claimed that the Swiss ex-celebrity wife and Phil were not actually together but were with him for the sake of their children.
In addition, the multi-award-winning older Collins was said to have kept a distance from taking his bath. Hence, it led to an unpleasant smell which Cevey did not find so appealing.
Adding to this, it has been claimed that their sex lives were not as compatible as Cevey had wanted. While she may have wanted more, Collins wanted less. All these, according to Preston may have led to her taking the option to cheat on her ex with him.
The rumor further changed its rhythm when it was reported that his mother had married musician, Thomas Bates in Las Vegas.
The father of Mathew Thomas Clemence allegedly asked that his ex-wife moved out of his Miami mansion that she got as a settlement at the time of their divorce. However, she was said to have threatened to embarrassing claims about the 73 years old singer.
5. His Mother has Enjoyed One of the Biggest British Divorce Settlements of All Time
From the 3 marriages of his father, Phil Collins, Matt’s mother is the third wife. The marriage started in 1999 and lasted for 7 years before it ended in divorce in 2006.
His Swiss national mother Orianne Cevey was said to have received 25 million pounds as a divorce settlement. At the time, the divorce was said to be the highest in British celebrity divorce until it was dropped down by other celebrity divorces such as Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore with $425 million (about £349.8 million) while the most expensive divorce in the world is Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott with $38 billion as settlement.
Prior to the divorce, his father had equally had 2 expensive divorces from his first 2 marriages to Andrea Bertorelli and Jill Tavelman. Both marriages were said to have ended with a £17 million settlement.
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6. The Father of Mathew Thomas Clemence Had Suffered Ear Damage
It was in 2000 that Clemence’s father developed an ear problem that would not allow him to properly hear.
The ailment may not be the best thing to happen to him, but according to him, it at least gave him some form of freedom from music.
Although it was reported that he may not be able to recover completely his hearing ability, he would later recover most of it and it was also reported that the ailment was a result of an infection.
This would not be the only time that the older Collins would be weighed down by an ailment. He also suffers a Type 2 diabetes, and in 2007, he suffered from a vertebrae dislocation in his upper neck.
The dislocation forced him out of playing drums. As such, Matt’s brother plays the drum that his father used to play for Genesis.
7. The Father of Matthew Thomas Clemence Has Won 8 Grammys and is one of the Richest Drummers in the World
The older Collins has performed as a solo artist, a member of Brand X, Flaming Youth, and Genesis. He is the frontman of Genesis and has recorded many notable songs over the course of his career.
Some of his most notable works are Take a Look at Me Now, One More Night, Day in Paradise, and In the Air Tonight.
On his own and with his band, he has recorded over 7 studio albums that have received positive reviews. Many of his works have received several awards and others have gone as far as receiving one of the most prestigious awards, the Grammy.
At the time of this writing, he has won 8 Grammy Awards in the categories of:
- Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male (1985)
- Album of the Year (1986)
- Best Pop Vocal Performance (1986)
- Producer of the Year (Non-Clasical, 1986)
- Best Performance Music Video (1988)
- Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television (1989)
- Record of the Year (1991)
- Best Soundtrack Album (2000)
Awards are not the only thing the singer has garnered in his career. He has also claimed a fortune amounting to a net worth of $300 million in estimation.
This wealth would earn him a spot among the richest British musicians alongside Paul McCartney, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John, and Lord Lloyd-Webber.