Phil Collins has responded to rumors that he broke up with an ex-wife via fax. Collins was married to Jill Tavelman in the mid-1980s and says that the now legendary rumor made a serious impact on his public persona within music.

"It really hurt my career, or my public persona," he told ABC News.

"And it was based on an untruth. . . . So, I just thought it would be an opportunity just to lay it all out, and if I say it didn't happen, I'm trusting that people will believe me."

He also opened up about his friendship with the late Michael Jackson adding:

"He's very sweet and friendly. All thoughts of the weird things I've heard disappear in an instant," he admits.

"I don't bat an eyelid when he invites Lily and Jill to pal upstairs in his toy room. Michael Jackson, though clearly not the same as us mortals, is not the weirdo we've been led to expect. A brilliant musician and a nice guy who's had to live an extraordinary life from the age of 5.

But, even though I have no direct knowledge of the murkier side of Michael's life, I have to say that there's probably no smoke without some kind of fire."