Phil Collins Demands Trump Stop Playing His Music, Ex-Wife End Armed Occupation Of His House

Desiree Navarro/Getty Images

Phil Collins Demands Trump Stop Playing His Music, Ex-Wife End Armed Occupation Of His House

Desiree Navarro/Getty Images

In our ongoing series The Number Ones, which is currently tracing its way through the chart-topping hits of the mid-1980s, Phil Collins is in the midst of good times right now. Here in the current timeline, not so much. The legendary drummer and ’80s pop star is feuding with his ex-wife and the president of the United States, and neither opponent seems inclined to back down easily. One of them is even allegedly protecting their interests with guns, and it’s not the president.

Donald Trump has been playing Collins’ iconic early solo hit “In The Air Tonight” at his campaign rallies lately, and Collins is steamed about it. As TMZ reports, his lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the president’s campaign on Friday, and the text suggests this isn’t the first time they’ve made this ask:

As you know, we are counsel for Phil Collins and for his service company, Philip Collins Limited.

We wrote you on June 24, 2020 demanding that the Trump campaign cease infringing the musical copyright in the musical work “In the Air Tonight.” Another copy of our June 24, 2020 letter is attached. Our previous letter also noted that the campaign’s use of the work constituted an implied and false endorsement of Mr. Trump. It also noted Mr. Collin’s express and unequivocal statement that he wants no affiliation whatsoever with The President or the Trump campaign.

We did not receive the courtesy of a response to our letter.

We now have learned that the Trump campaign has continued its improper use of “In the Air Tonight.” Most recently, the Trump campaign used that work during an Iowa campaign rally on October 14, 2020. That use was not only wholly unauthorized but, as various press articles have commented, particularly inappropriate since it was apparently intended as a satirical reference to Covid-19. That reference was made at a time when Iowa was suffering from an acceleration of Covid-19 infection. Mr. Collins does not condone the apparent trivialization of Covid-19. Moreover, Mr. Collins has serious concerns that the manner in which the Trump campaign has used “In the Air Tonight” has caused, and will cause, damage to Mr. Collins’ reputation and popularity with the public.

Under the circumstances, we renew our demand for immediate assurances that the Trump campaign will permanently cease and desist from any further use of Mr. Collins’ name, performance and music at any future rallies or otherwise.

As for the other dispute: People reports that Collins has filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife Orianne Cevey for refusing to leave his Miami Beach home. According to the suit, Collins gave Cevey an Oct. 12 move-out deadline after she married another man, Thomas Bates, in August. Collins reportedly wants to spend Christmas there with their two sons, Nicholas, 19, and Matthew, 15. In the suit he claims Cevey has “taken possession of the Property by a show of force,” allegedly hiring “armed guards to patrol the Property with openly displayed firearms.”

Cevey’s attorney responded to the lawsuit in People’s report: “Orianne’s only motive is to remain in her home until a fair settlement is resolved. She has never interfered in Mr. Collins’ ability to see or interact with his children and encourages their relationship,” Wolfe writes. “Instead of his Trumpian disinformation campaign, his hidden cameras and private investigators, perhaps Mr. Collins should clean up his own act, literally and figuratively, and honor the commitments he made to Orianne when they moved in together.”

Collins reportedly paid a $46.68 million settlement to Cevey in 2008 after their 2006 divorce. In 2016 the former spouses told People they had gotten back together: “We are still enjoying living in a house together and changing light bulbs,” Collins said at the time. Cevey added, “We are back together, we are very happy and time will tell as far as the future — who knows?”

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