In the open letter, Lily says, 'I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected.'
- Mar 8, 2017
AceShowbiz - Lily Collins has released a book of personal essays titled "Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me". In her new book, Lily opens up about her bittersweet relationship with her famous father, Phil Collins.
"Because my dad was often gone, I never wanted to do anything that would make him stay away even longer," she writes in an open letter in the new memoir. "I became extra careful about what I said and how I said it, afraid he'd think I was angry or didn't love him. And the truth is, I was angry. I missed him and wanted him there."
In one section titled "A Letter to All Dads," the "Love, Rosie" actress goes on explaining that her parents divorced when she was five years old. The Genesis drummer "moved from our home in England to Switzerland, where he stayed for more than twenty years."
The "Mirror Mirror" star also talks about struggling with eating disorder, which was caused by her dad's split from his third wife back in 2008. "I couldn't handle the pain and confusion surrounding my dad's divorce, and I was having a hard time balancing being a teenager with pursuing two different grown-up careers," she writes.
The "Rules Don't Apply" actress continues, "I've realized that many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad. It's taken me over a decade to resolve some of them (others I'm still resolving) and to finally build up the courage to speak my mind to him."
Holding nothing back, Lily says, "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. 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."
Lily concludes her open letter with forgiveness as she writes, "I now understand that my frustations surrounding our communication are not about changing you, but accepting you as you are." She explains, "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. There's still so much time to move forward. And I want to. I'm inviting you to join me." She adds, "I'll always be your little girl."
