MIAMI — Phil Collins will get the chance to inventory his belongings from the Miami Beach mansion he claims has been seized by his ex-wife and her new husband, alleging they've hired armed guards to patrol the property and changed alarm codes to keep the "In the Air Tonight" singer out.
A Miami-Dade County judge ruled Tuesday that Collins will be allowed to enter the home at 5800 N. Bay Road to identify his personal belongings.
The order comes a week after Collins filed a lawsuit alleging that Orianne Cevey Collins Mejjati Bates and Thomas Bates, whom she married in August, "have refused to vacate" the property, which was once owned by Jennifer Lopez, and have commandeered the former Genesis frontman's home "through a show of force."
According to the lawsuit, Collins "believes there is a substantial risk that Mrs. Bates or Mr. Bates or their agents will remove, conceal or destroy valuable and irreplaceable personal property" from the home.
But an attorney for the Bateses argues that Collins "voluntarily left two months ago" and that his claims that her clients have "taken over" the home "by force of arms" is nothing more than "a completely contrived story to attract attention and obtain unwarranted relief."
In her response to a motion seeking injunctive relief, attorney Dana Clayton wrote that Collins and Orianne have joint ownership of the home and that one of their children, who attends boarding school in France, is scheduled to return in December to celebrate Christmas.
Clayton claims Orianne "oversaw and managed all house staff and employees," was responsible for all of the bills and was "involved with maintaining and overseeing security."
According to the response, Orianne scheduled an appointment with the home security company in April "when she discovered that the cameras were not functioning properly."
"She discovered this when she attempted to review the footage to determine how the family dog accidentally drowned in the swimming pool and discovered that the footage had been erased or was missing," Clayton wrote.
Clayton goes on to say that it was Collins "who suddenly decided to leave" the home.
"After she remarried in August 2020, Orianne asked her new husband to stay in the home with her, and Orianne again attempted to speak with Mr. Collins, but he refused all such efforts," Clayton said. "Instead, he texted Orianne and informed her that he left for Switzerland and intends to remain there at least through the end of the year, if not permanently."
Clayton further claims that the "three heavily armed guards" Collins cited in his complaint have been providing security at the home since 2015, "as Mr. Collins well knows."
She also alleges that Orianne recently discovered at least 20 "intentionally hidden" cameras in the home, "including in her personal bathroom and dressing room."
"These cameras have no security purpose and, unbeknownst to her, were installed to spy on her during her most private moments, like bathing and changing," Clayton explained.
Clayton countered that Collins "should be ordered to cease and desist from harassing Orianne, her children and her new husband."
Collins, who has been married and divorced three times, bought the waterfront estate for $33 million in 2015, Miami-Dade County property records show. The property is currently for sale at an asking price of $40 million.
