Phil Collins is calling ex-wife Orianne Bates’ claims about his personal hygiene habits “patently false or grossly exaggerated” after her new filing in their ongoing legal battle alleged the 69-year-old musician “stopped showering” and “brushing his teeth” after becoming “incapable of having sex.”
In a new court filing obtained by PEOPLE Monday, Bates continued her argument that she should be awarded half of the couple’s Florida mansion, claiming Collins had become addicted to anti-depressants and “became emotionally and verbally abusive” for nearly a year. “Philip’s stench became so pervasive that he became a hermit, refusing to interact personally with any people,” Bates, 46, alleged. “As a result, Orianne had no choice, but to distance herself from him.” Additionally, Bates claimed the Genesis rocker “refused to provide emotional support, love or care for his children or Orianne,” in reference to the former couple’s teenage sons, Nicholas and Matthew.
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Collins’ lawyers denied all claims to PEOPLE, calling them “immaterial and impertinent” to the case at hand and accusing her of making the allegations as a means of extorting her ex. “They are scandalous, scurrilous, unethical and, for the most part, patently false or grossly exaggerated,” Collins’ attorneys said. “These false and scandalous allegations are again included only so that they can be delivered by defendants to the media to try to damage Phil Collins’ reputation in an effort to extort money.”
The legal drama between the two kicked off on Oct. 14, when the “In the Air Tonight” singer filed a lawsuit against Bates, accusing her of unlawful detainer and forcible entry, having allegedly failed to leave his Miami Beach home by Oct. 12 following her August wedding to 31-year-old husband Thomas Bates. By the end of October, Thomas and Orianne agreed to leave the home by mid-January, PEOPLE reports, agreeing to allow Collins’ realtor to market and sell the property before they left. Bates’ request for 50% of the house has yet to be settled.
In 2008, Collins reportedly paid Bates more than $46.68 million in their divorce after splitting two years prior. Ten years later, the two reconciled after Bates’ divorce from Charles Mejjati. “When you have children, there’s two ways you can go,” Collins told PEOPLE at the time. “You can go the nasty way or you can go the nice way, and we always went the nice way … and we realized we missed each other. …We are back together, we are very happy and time will tell as far as the future – who knows?”
