Phil Collins Trumps Paul McCartney in Mega-Divorce

Singer pays ex-wife nearly $47 million, the largest celeb divorce settlement in British history

By Gina Serpe Aug 18, 2008 6:25 PMTags
Phil Collins, Orianne CeveyAP Photo/ Keystone, Urs Flueeler

Phil Collins' ex-wife may no longer be in his heart, but she'll definitely always have a place in his bank account.

The easy-rocking star has waved good-bye to marriage No. 3 and hello to a reported $46.68 million divorce settlement which, if accurate, shapes up to be the biggest ever celeb payout in British legal history, trumping even the astronomical amount Heather Mills received—said to be $45.37 million—from Paul McCartney earlier this year.

Collins, 57, and Orianne Cevey, 35, were married for seven years before separating in 2006. They have two children together, sons Nicolas, 8, and Matthew, 4.

It isn't the first time relationship woes have caused a dip in the Genesis frontman's fortunes, with Britain's Daily Telegraph even claiming that divorce settlements have eaten into as much as one-third of his estimated $280 million net worth, nearly $84 million going to his ex-wives.

After taking advantage of technological advances and infamously dumping wife No. 2, Jill Tavelman, by fax back in 1994, he was forced to pay $34 million.