Why is Orianne Cevey divorcing Thomas Bates? Phil Collins' ex-wife ends year-long marriage
Phil Collins' ex-wife Orianne Cevey is filing for divorce from her husband Thomas Bates, just after one year of being married. The 47-year-old jewelry designer took to Instagram to announce the split on Thursday, December 2, from her spouse who is 15 years older than her.
Orianne blamed the pandemic for causing her emotional distress. "I believe the emotional stress of the COVID quarantine caused me to act in ways to do things that were out of character," she wrote. She sent her gratitude to all those who have supported her in these tough times and vowed to handle the situation with resilience. "Fortunately I have faced challenging situations before and like I always have, I will muster up the strength I can, the best team I can find and the courage to do the right thing... Thank you to so many who have supported me in the past - it means so much to my family and me," Orianne added.
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In her statement, she mentioned that she was looking to handle the split with privacy. "To be clear: my intention is to let our attorneys deal with this resolution behind closed doors, and not in the media which is why I am posting the statement on my personal account," she said. Orianne and Thomas exchanged vows on August 2, 2020, at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Orianne became famous after she married the 'One More Night' hitmaker, 70, in 1999. They split in 2006, only to reunite between 2016 and 2019. Currently, Orianne is embroiled in litigation with Phil over the $40 million Florida mansion they once shared.
Phil and Orianne Collins' dispute over property
Orianne was granted the clearance to sue Phil over finances related to the property in October. An insider told Page Six: "The original deal was that she gets half the value of the house. That was the agreement they made. She’s suing for half, and he tried to get [the case] dismissed. Now the judge ruled that her case can move forward."
The musician had filed legal paperwork to evict Orianne from the premises last year after learning that she and Bates had exchanged vows. Orianne and Bates moved out under the terms of a partial settlement "to get her out of the house and relocate, so he could sell it," an insider told the outlet. However, it was later reported that Orianne "was never evicted" from the home. A rep for Collins told the outlet that "the [new] motion argued that Orianne’s case was filed in the wrong court, and [she] had to refile in the correct court, so the only significance in this ruling is the court that she’s going to lose in."
Orianne accused Phil of making 'her out to be a b***h'
Discussing her bitter split from Phil in a candid interview, Orianne claimed the rocker "made her out to be a b***h." Speaking to The Sun, Orianne said: "We were living together in Miami Beach with our children for more than six years. It was my house as much as his house. "And when he found out I got married, he got super mad and that was it... It is sad to be honest. It is very sad the way he puts the view where I am pitched as a very bad person."
She insisted that she "hadn't done anything," and went on to speak about Thomas. "We found each other and love each other. That is what happened. But some people say: 'why did she do that. What a b***h,'" she said.