PHIL Collins has accused his ex-wife of hiring armed guards to hold his Miami mansion “hostage” in a “show of force” – while demanding millions from him.
The Easy Lover singer, 69, who discovered Orianne Cevey had wed another man behind his back, has filed a US court complaint to try and evict her from his property.
Orianne has refused to leave his £25million seven-bedroom pad and is now threatening to release her own lawsuit “full of false information” against the Genesis star, court papers claim.
He is seeking to have her removed, arguing that she is guilty of ‘forcible entry’ and ‘unlawful detainer’ – or being in his house with no legal right.
The jewellery maker, 46, is said to be preparing to release the information publicly unless Phil pays her a “preposterous amount of money” – which adds up to “millions of dollars”.
A team of menacing armed guards with “openly displayed firearms” are now patrolling his property to make sure he can’t take it back – and pays up, he claims in court documents.
Jeffrey Fisher, Phil’s lawyer, made the explosive allegations in papers filed in Miami – hours after The Sun snapped Orianne on a shopping trip with new husband Thomas Bates.
Mr Fisher said Orianne’s lawyer had threatened to file a legal complaint “unless Phil paid a preposterous amount of money to Orianne based on an ‘oral agreement’ that does not exist”.
He added: “The letter said that Phil had to pay millions of dollars to Orianne or she would file a baseless suit full of false information…to embarrass and defame Phil.
“The letter stated that she would not vacate the Miami Beach home until Phil reached an agreement with Orianne premised on these ridiculous legal theories and unsubstantiated facts.
“We will not tolerate her holding the house ‘hostage’ during the negotiation.”
Drum legend Phil is described as the “sole owner” of the huge Miami home, in the court papers – which name his ex as ‘Mrs Bates’ in reference to her new marriage.
The Grammy winner had been living at the property with Orianne – who he had given £25million to in their divorce – after they rekindled their romance in 2016.
But Phil was said to have been “blindsided” when the Swiss jeweler told him she was flying to Las Vegas on business – then wed guitarist Thomas Bates, 31, in a ceremony featuring Elvis.
Court papers reveal that by August 6 – just four days after their shock wedding – Phil was demanding that Orianne left his Miami home.
They said: “Mrs Bates is occupying and using the property as if it is hers. Indeed, Mrs Bates is now residing there with her new husband, Mr Bates, who she married in Las Vegas on August 2.
“Mrs Bates and Mr Bates have refused to vacate the property. Instead, the defendants have hired armed guards to patrol the property with openly displayed firearms.
“The defendants and their guards have taken possession of the property through a show of force. Mr and Mrs Bates have changed the alarm codes in the property.”
The court papers claim that Orianne had Installed a new video system and alarm system at the mansion “to deprive” Phil of his ability to “monitor and secure the property”.
She is also claimed to have denied access to an estate agent, who is looking to flog the pad for £30million on Phil’s behalf.
Phil was said to believe there was a “substantial risk that Mrs Bates or Mr Bates or their agents will remove, conceal or destroy valuable and irreplaceable personal property”.
Orianne was said to have claimed she couldn’t move out of the house quickly as she had to take her son to a French boarding school.
But in reality, she was going on an “extended vacation with her new husband Thomas Bates, who she secretly married in Las Vegas”, the court papers claim.
They add: “The deadline to vacate the property has passed, but neither Mrs Bates nor Mr Bates nor their armed guards have vacated the property.”
The Sun pictured Orianne walks arm-in-arm with her new toyboy husband on Tuesday.
She and musician Thomas broke cover in a chauffeur-driven Bentley to go out for a leisurely lunch and shopping jaunt in Miami’s ultra-exclusive Design District.
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