Phil Collins has opened up about his relationship with Michael Jackson, sharing his opinions on the alleged child sex abuse claims made against him.
Collins new memoir ‘Not Dead Yet’ is released this week, and features the former Genesis turned solo icon recalling his friendship with the ‘Thriller’ star and how he trusted him with his daughter Lily Collins – but added that ‘there’s no smoke without fire’.
“He’s very sweet and friendly,” he says of Jackson. “All thoughts of the weird things I’ve heard disappear in an instant,” he admits. “I don’t bat an eyelid when he invites Lily and Jill to pal upstairs in his toy room.”
Collins adds: “Michael Jackson, though clearly not the same as us mortals, is not the weirdo we’ve been led to expect. A brilliant musician and a nice guy who’s had to live an extraordinary life from the age of 5. But, even though I have no direct knowledge of the murkier side of Michael’s life, I have to say that there’s probably no smoke without some kind of fire.”