Phil Collins will be quizzed under oath over claims he didn’t wash or brush his teeth.
The In the Air Tonight singer will sit down for a filmed deposition in December to be grilled by his ex-wife Orianne Bates’ lawyers as part of the former couple’s ongoing legal dispute over their mansion in Florida – which the jewellery designer claims she was verbally promised half of by her former spouse – after Judge Carlos Guzman ruled the case can go ahead.
Bates’s spokesperson said: ‘We are happy for the win in this matter, look forward to the case moving forward, and as she has said from the beginning, we expect justice to be served.’
Her lawyer, Richard Wolfe added: ‘I have spoken with Phil’s counsel and anticipate his deposition sometime in December after his current tour.
‘We have always been ready and willing to discuss a resolution. Orianne has warm feelings for Phil as they have children together and she only wants what is fair and reasonable, and what Phil agreed to.’
Collins had tried to prevent his former spouse – who married 32-year-old Tom Bates last year – from suing him for half of their former Miami Beach home.
However, now that the case is moving forward, the 70-year-old must face questions from Bates’s legal team about various allegations she has previously made, including alleging the singer abused alcohol and prescription medication, didn’t brush his teeth for months, stopped showering, and became ‘depressed, abusive and incapable of having sex’.
A source told DailyMail.com: ‘Phil will be called to give deposition in this case now despite his efforts to stop Orianne and her lawyers.
‘It’s going to be uncomfortable for Phil because he is notoriously shy and private, but questions will be asked about his life.
‘Orianne is adamant she wants the world to know her truth and feels that justice would be Phil giving her half the proceeds of the house, which she insists he verbally promised when they split.
‘So questions about Phil’s mindset, mental state, personal behaviour and acts are all potentially on the table. Certainly if her lawyer could convince a jury that Phil’s mind was impacted by alleged drug and drink use then that helps her case.
‘Certainly while matters about his hygiene and intimate interactions with her may seem frivolous, this potentially paints a picture of the unusual nature of their relationship.
‘The ball now is in Phil’s court about how much he wants to bring out publicly or discuss because these depositions will be videotaped.’
The Genesis singer’s lawyers have insisted the claims are ‘scandalous, scurrilous, unethical and, for the most part, patently false or grossly exaggerated’ and argued the jewellery designer’s allegations are ‘totally immaterial’ to the dispute over the house.
An unnamed friend of Bates – who shares sons Nicholas, 19, and 15-year-old Matthew with the drummer – insisted she doesn’t want a scurrilous court dispute but just wants the matter resolved.
They said: ‘Orianne feels that while her reputation is being questioned, ideally she would simply walk away if they split the house profits.
‘People forget they still share two children together and she feels that while she loves him, she just wants what’s right.’
The former couple married in 1999 before splitting seven years later, only to reunite in 2016.
However, their rekindled relationship didn’t last and they went their separate ways.
At the time of their split, the One More Night singer was ordered to pay a record-breaking divorce settlement of $46.76 million (£33.9m).
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