Phil Collins is recovering from knee surgery, his representatives confirmed this week, pushing back against widespread online speculation that the iconic musician had been placed in hospice care.

Over the weekend, social media platforms were flooded with unverified claims that Collins, 73, was receiving end-of-life care, prompting concern among fans around the world. However, those rumors have been firmly denied by his team, who clarified that the Genesis co-founder is simply recovering from a recent medical procedure and that his condition is not life-threatening.

“Phil is in hospital recuperating after knee surgery,” a representative told Billboard. “He is not in hospice.” The statement was issued following an uptick in online posts referencing his long-standing health challenges, which have kept him largely out of the public eye in recent years.

Collins has endured significant health complications for more than a decade, particularly relating to his back and mobility. In interviews over the years, the British musician has spoken candidly about his physical decline, which began with nerve damage sustained after spinal surgery in 2007. That procedure led to ongoing complications, including partial paralysis in his hands and limited mobility that ultimately impacted his ability to play the drums. “I had an MRI and my back and hips were just shot,” Collins told Rolling Stone in 2015. “The doctor had to go in there, work on the sciatic nerve, and take my back apart and unscramble the mess.”

In more recent interviews, Collins has acknowledged that his health struggles have not only affected his performance capabilities but also diminished his drive to return to the studio. Speaking to Mojo earlier this year, he reflected on his current creative outlook: “The thing is, I’ve been sick, I mean very sick,” he said. “And I’m just not hungry to make music anymore.”

Despite his retreat from the spotlight, Collins made a public return to the stage in 2022 during Genesis' farewell tour, performing a series of shows across Europe and North America. During the tour, he sang from a seated position, with his son, Nic Collins, stepping in on drums. The younger Collins had also toured with his father during Phil’s solo “Not Dead Yet” tour in the late 2010s, taking over drumming duties as his father’s condition worsened.

“I know that my dad misses playing the drums, and I know the fans wish they could see him do that again. I wish he could play as well,” Nic Collins told Rolling Stone in 2022. “But the way we did it proved that despite his health issues, he could still sing brilliantly and we were able to put on a strong show. People came to celebrate the music, whether they grew up with it or were hearing it live for the first time.”

Phil Collins rose to prominence in the 1970s as the drummer and later frontman of Genesis before launching a massively successful solo career in the 1980s, delivering hits such as “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds,” and “Another Day in Paradise.” Despite no longer performing regularly, his legacy remains deeply embedded in the fabric of pop and rock music.

For now, Collins is expected to remain out of the public eye while he completes his recovery. His team has not provided a timeline for his discharge or future appearances, but the clarification has brought relief to fans concerned by inaccurate reports about his condition.