Meet Tiger Lily - the INXS orphan who has grown into a young woman in private.

As 1,974,000 Australian’s tuned in to watch the first episode of the telemovie INXS: Never Tear Us Apart, last Sunday night, many were left wondering about Michael Hutchence’s daughter Tiger Lily, now 17, and what she’d make of the movie based on the father she’s never known.

Here’s a glimpse into the private life of Michael Hutchence’s only child.

Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily was just 16-months-old when her famous father Michael Hutchence was found dead at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Double Bay. The rocker died under tragic circumstances that day in November 1997. Tragically her mother Paula Yates died a short time later in September 2000 when Tiger Lily was just four. She was then controversially adopted by her mother’s ex husband and father of her three sisters, Bob Geldof, despite Hutchence’s mother and sister wanted her to live with them in Australia.

So how did this little girl who lost both her her fast-living parents at such a vulnerable age turn out? What does she know of her real dad and her Australian background?

By all accounts Tiger Lily has grown into a self-assured, confident young women who is incredibly close to the family that raised her and calls Bob Geldof ‘Dad’. Geldof has gone to great lengths to protect his adopted daughter from the media spotlight, even keeping her away from the funeral of her grandmother, Hutchence’s mother Patricia Glassop in 2010. She attends a private school in south London close to her home in Battersea where she lives with Geldof and his partner of 16 years, French actress Jeanne Marine. She and Jeanne-Marine are reportedly very close. She is the only child still living at home but is still very close to her three older sisters who have all moved out but live close by. Tiger Lily features prominently on the Instagram account of sister Peaches Geldof.

According to news.com.au, Tiger Lily likes drama class, singing and playing guitar. It’s been reported that once while Geldof was singing a Hutchence song she said, ‘my real dad’s a better singer than you, Dad’. We’re sure that went down well.

It was just two years ago that rare pictures of her were released on Instagram by her sister Peaches and boy, does she look like her father.

Despite her seemingly happy home life, her father’s family wishes they were closer to his only child. Younger brother Rhett sided with Geldof when he asked to adopt Tiger Lily. Hutchence’s mother Patricia Glassop wanted to raise Tiger Lily alongside Michael’s sister Tina.

Right up until her death Glassop accused Geldof of doing all he could to erase Hutchence’s memory from his daughter. It is understood the young girl has only been to Australia once in 2006 when she met her father’s family. In an interview at the time of the custody request Glassop said, “I think he is Satan. I think he is cruel, very cruel to keep her from her family. I am not allowed to speak to her on the phone. He’s even changed the phone number.”

In his defence, Geldof said he only changed the phone number after Glassop allegedly rang the home several times a day. Shortly before her death Glassop said in a interview, “I’ve begged and pleaded with him to let me see Tiger Lily again, but he’s turned a deaf ear. He’s treated me shabbily.”

Tina Glassop now lives in the US and has no contact with her niece.

The movie INXS: Never Tear Us Apart was in part inspired by manager Chris Murphy and the remaining members of the band who wanted to leave Tiger Lily with a record of just how amazing her father was, of a reminder of his talent and just how much he achieved. She is also said to be the recipient of her father’s royalties from the movie which could in fact set her up for life.

This is certainly Murphy’s intention. He is currently negotiating to sell the rights to the movie internationally.

INXS guitarist Tim Farris consulted alongside Murphy on the making of the movie. Murphy told the Telegraph:

“Both Tim and I made a lot of decisions about [the script] on behalf of Michael… this was about restoring Michael’s dignity and remembering there’s a teenage girl at the end of all this.’ Now, instead of going into the dark, unknown story of her dad and her dad’s death… To see Michael at 25, as Luke Arnold portrays him, she’s just going to go “wow” and have such a great perspective on who he really was.”

From Europe, Murphy will then fly on to the U.S. where he hopes to drum up support for a Hollywood movie or a Broadway musical.

The second and final instalment of INXS: Never tear us apart airs tonight at 8.30 on Channel 7.

This post  originally appeared on iVillage Australia, and has been republished here with full permission

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