Jill Tavelman is an American business owner and former teacher. She became widely known after she married British singer Phil Collins. She is also the mother of actress Lily Collins.

Jill met Phil Collins in Los Angeles in 1980. They married in 1984. Their daughter, Lily, was born in 1989. The marriage ended in divorce in 1996.

After the divorce, Jill lived in Los Angeles with Lily. She later built a business around antiques and old objects. Her shop, Waverly on Doheny, is based in West Hollywood.

Jill has spent most of her later life away from the music spotlight. She is known for her close bond with Lily and her love of design. Verified reports also link her to community work in Beverly Hills.

Quick Bio

Who Is Jill Tavelman?

Jill Tavelman is best known as the second wife of Phil Collins. Collins became famous with the rock band Genesis. He also built a major solo music career.

Jill had her own work before and after the marriage. Reliable profiles have described her as a teacher and architect. She later moved into antiques and design.

Her public life is much quieter than the lives of Phil and Lily. She has not built a career in film or music. Most reports about her focus on family, design, and local community work.

Jill also has strong ties to California. She lived there before meeting Phil. She returned to Los Angeles with Lily after the marriage ended.

Jill Tavelman’s Early Life and California Roots

Public sources describe Jill as a California native. Much of her adult life has also been based in the Los Angeles area. The city later became the main home for Jill and her daughter.

Before she became part of a famous family, Jill worked as a teacher. Town & Country has also described her as an architect. Both jobs show her interest in people, spaces, and creative work.

Her design background later became useful in another field. She started collecting and selling old objects. She was drawn to items with age, marks, and character.

There is little reliable public information about her childhood or school years. For this reason, claims about those parts of her life should be treated with care. The verified story becomes much clearer after 1980.

How Did Jill Tavelman Meet Phil Collins?

Jill Tavelman met Phil Collins in 1980. Town & Country reported that they met at the Rainbow Bar and Grill on Sunset Boulevard. The famous venue is in Los Angeles.

Phil was already a successful musician at the time. He had become the lead singer of Genesis after Peter Gabriel left the group. His fame continued to grow during the 1980s.

Jill and Phil dated for several years. They married in 1984. The marriage was Phil Collins’ second marriage.

Phil had first been married to Andrea Bertorelli. He already had family ties from that marriage. Jill later became part of his growing family life.

Marriage to Phil Collins

Jill Tavelman married Phil Collins in 1984. The marriage took place during one of the busiest times in his music career. Genesis was popular around the world.

Phil was also becoming a major solo star. Songs such as In the Air Tonight had made him known outside Genesis. His public fame brought strong media attention to his private life.

Jill did not follow him into the music business. She stayed much more private. Her public identity during those years was mainly linked to her marriage.

The couple stayed married for more than a decade. Their only child together was Lily Collins. She was born five years after the wedding.

Birth of Lily Collins

Lily Jane Collins was born on March 18, 1989. She is the only child of Jill Tavelman and Phil Collins. Lily spent the first years of her life in England.

Her childhood was very different from that of most children. Her father was one of the best known musicians of his time. She sometimes attended public events linked to his career.

Lily later became famous in her own right. She built a career as an actress, model, writer, and producer. Her work includes Mirror Mirror, Love, Rosie, and To the Bone.

She later reached a wider audience through Emily in Paris. The Netflix series became an international hit. Lily plays the lead role of Emily Cooper.

What Happened to Jill Tavelman and Phil Collins?

The marriage began to fall apart during the early 1990s. Jill and Phil separated in 1994. Their divorce became final in 1996.

Phil later spoke about his part in the end of the marriage. He discussed it in interviews and in his memoir. He said his own choices damaged the relationship.

The divorce received strong press coverage. Phil Collins was one of the biggest music stars in Britain. His private life therefore became a regular subject for newspapers.

Many claims about the divorce have appeared over the years. Some come from weak sources or old tabloid reports. A careful biography should only use facts supported by reliable interviews and publications.

Life After the Phil Collins Divorce

After the separation, Jill Tavelman moved to Los Angeles with Lily. Lily was still very young at the time. She grew up mainly with her mother in California.

The move changed Lily’s childhood. She left England and started a new life in the United States. Los Angeles later became important to her own career.

Jill remained outside the entertainment industry. She focused on raising her daughter and on her own interests. She also kept much of her personal life private.

Her approach is different from many people linked to famous stars. She rarely gives major interviews about the marriage. This has helped her keep a low public profile.

Raising Lily Collins in Los Angeles

Lily has often spoken warmly about her mother. She has said that her mother taught her important lessons about confidence and self respect. Their bond remained strong as Lily became an adult.

Jill Tavelman raised Lily in Los Angeles after the divorce. The city gave Lily access to schools, media, and later the film business. Yet Lily did not begin her career only because of her famous parents.

Lily studied journalism before acting became her main field. She also worked as a writer and model. Her first steps in entertainment came before her biggest film roles.

Lily later wrote the book Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me. In the book and related interviews, she discussed family and personal growth. She also spoke about lessons she learned from her mother.

Jill Tavelman’s Work Before Her Antiques Business

Jill has been described as a former teacher. Teaching was one of her early professional roles. It came before her later public work in design and antiques.

Reports have also described her as an architect. This background helps explain her interest in buildings and objects. It also fits with her later taste for unusual design.

Jill did not build her career around celebrity status. She instead moved into work that matched her personal interests. Old furniture and rare objects became a major focus.

Her later business gave her a clear identity outside the Collins name. It also showed her interest in reuse. She prefers objects that show signs of age.

What Is Waverly on Doheny?

Jill Tavelman founded Waverly on Doheny in 2014. The business is based in West Hollywood, California. It focuses on antiques and unusual vintage objects.

The official site describes Jill as a seller of what she calls “resurrected oddities.” The idea is simple. She finds old objects and gives them another purpose.

The shop does not focus only on perfect antiques. Jill likes objects with rust, wear, and visible age. These details can make each item unique.

The business has featured many kinds of objects. These include old watches, car parts, furniture, and decorative pieces. Some items can be used in new ways inside a home.

Jill Tavelman’s Love of Antiques and Design

Jill’s work shows a strong interest in creative reuse. Instead of throwing old things away, she looks for a new use for them. This idea is also known as upcycling.

She does not try to hide every mark on an old object. Scratches and faded surfaces can show its history. For Jill, these details can add value and style.

Her design taste is therefore very different from clean mass made goods. She looks for pieces that feel rare or unusual. Each object has its own shape and past.

The shop also gives Jill a way to use her design skills. Her earlier work in architecture fits this interest. Both fields require a good eye for form, space, and detail.

Community Work in Beverly Hills

Jill has also taken part in local community life. Vogue España identified her as a former president of the Beverly Hills Women’s Club. The group has a long history in the city.

The role shows another side of her public life. It was not linked to Phil Collins or the music business. It involved local social and community activity.

Jill has also spoken about local building issues in West Hollywood. In 2018, Beverly Press reported her comments about a building near her business.

She supported efforts to protect the historic property. She also raised practical concerns about parking and access. Her comments matched her wider interest in old buildings and preservation.

Jill Tavelman and Lily Collins Today

Jill Tavelman and Lily Collins have remained close. Lily has shared public messages about her mother over the years. She has also praised her support.

Lily married filmmaker Charlie McDowell in 2021. Charlie is the son of actors Mary Steenburgen and Malcolm McDowell. The couple married in Colorado.

Lily and Charlie later became parents. In January 2025, they announced the birth of their daughter, Tove Jane McDowell. The child was born through a surrogate.

The birth made Jill a grandmother. It added a new generation to the family. Lily has continued to balance family life with her acting and production work.

Why Is Jill Tavelman Still Known Today?

Much of Jill’s fame still comes from her family links. Phil Collins remains one of the best known British musicians of his generation. Lily Collins is also a major actress.

Yet Jill Tavelman has built a life that is not based only on those connections. Her work with antiques has given her a separate creative role. Her community work also adds to that picture.

She has kept her private life mostly out of the press. This makes verified information about her more limited than information about her former husband or daughter.

That privacy is important when writing about her. Claims about her money, relationships, body measurements, or private life should not be stated without strong evidence.

Final Thoughts on Jill Tavelman

Jill Tavelman became famous because of her marriage to Phil Collins. However, that marriage is only one part of her story. She has worked as a teacher, architect, and business owner.

She also played a major role in raising Lily Collins. Mother and daughter moved to Los Angeles after the divorce. Lily has since spoken with respect and affection about her mother.

Jill later created Waverly on Doheny. The shop reflects her love of old objects and design. It also shows her interest in giving old items a fresh use.

Today, Jill remains best known as Phil Collins’ former wife and Lily Collins’ mother. Still, her own work in design and antiques gives her a clear identity of her own.

FAQs

Who is Jill Tavelman?

Jill Tavelman is an American former teacher, architect, and antiques business owner. She is best known as Phil Collins’ second wife and the mother of actress Lily Collins. She also founded Waverly on Doheny in West Hollywood.

When did Jill Tavelman marry Phil Collins?

Jill married Phil Collins in 1984. The couple had one daughter, Lily Collins, in 1989. They separated in 1994, and their divorce became final in 1996.

Does Jill Tavelman have children?

Yes. Jill has one child with Phil Collins. Their daughter is actress Lily Collins, who is known for films such as Mirror Mirror and the Netflix series Emily in Paris.

What does Jill Tavelman do?

She has worked as a teacher and architect. She later entered the antiques business and founded Waverly on Doheny. The West Hollywood shop focuses on vintage objects, antiques, and creative reuse.

Is Jill Tavelman close to Lily Collins?

Yes. Lily has spoken in interviews about the strong support she received from her mother. Public posts and interviews also show that mother and daughter have remained close through the years.