Phil Collins' daughter Lily forgives him in open letter
"I forgive you for not being the dad I expected," she wrote.
— -- Phil Collins' actress daughter Lily Collins has opened up about her rocky relationship with her famous father in her new book of essays, "Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me."
In an open letter to the singer, Collins addressed her feelings of abandonment and frustration but added that she hopes they can develop a stronger bond.
Even at 27, she still seeks his love and approval, she noted.
"I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected. I forgive the mistakes you made," she wrote. "There's still so much time to move forward. And I want to. I'm inviting you to join me. I love you with all of my heart, more than you'll ever know, and am so thankful for you. I'll always be your little girl."
The "Love, Rosie" star is the daughter of Collins and his second wife, Jill. When she was a young child, the singer moved to Switzerland to be with the woman who later became his third wife.
Lily Collins has said in the past that she's struggled with an eating disorder, and in the book, she wrote that "many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad." She added that she's still working to resolve some of those problems, including finding the courage to speak honestly with her father.
"We all make choices and, although I don’t excuse some of yours, at the end of the day we can’t rewrite the past," she wrote. "I’m learning how to accept your actions and vocalize how they made me feel. I accept and honor the sadness and anger I felt toward the things you did or didn’t do, did or didn’t give me. I've learned a lot and my eyes and heart are wide open. I now understand that my frustrations surrounding our communication are not about changing you but accepting you as you are."
Late last year, Phil Collins published a book of his own, "Not Dead Yet." The memoir is a warts-and-all look at the life of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.
"I have owned up," the English singer-songwriter told ABC News of his tome.
