Fans were alarmed this week by AI-generated images appearing to show Sir Paul McCartney visiting Phil Collins in a London hospital. The photos, which went viral, depicted McCartney hugging a frail-looking Collins while playing a guitar. However, the images have been debunked as artificial intelligence fabrications.
Clues revealing the fakery include McCartney holding the guitar right-handed when he is left-handed, the guitar having only five strings, and a missing fifth finger on his strumming hand. The incident follows a health update from Collins's representative, who confirmed the 74-year-old musician was in hospital for knee surgery, not end-of-life care.
Collins's spokesperson told TMZ that he is 'nowhere near death', aiming to quell unfounded rumours that the retired Genesis drummer was on his deathbed. This is not Collins's first health struggle; he has suffered from severe nerve damage and deteriorating mobility since a spinal injury in 2007, and revealed in 2021 that he also has diabetes.
In a recent interview with Mojo magazine, Collins admitted he is no longer 'hungry' to make music, saying, 'I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick.'
