Lily Allen has commended her former spouse, David Harbour, for his reaction to her latest record, ‘West End Girl’.
Her fifth studio album arrived last October, written and recorded in just ten days after her marriage to the Stranger Things actor fell apart amid allegations of infidelity.
Allen previously characterised the record as “a blend of fact and fiction,” exploring “the complexities of relationships and how we navigate them.” She said it stemmed from her “deep‑rooted issues with rejection and abandonment” following the divorce, and emphasized that she does not see the album as cruel or motivated by revenge.
“It felt strange,” Harbour remarked regarding living through the album’s release. “I believe every artist has the right to turn personal experience into art, and I respect her for doing so.”
“Stories are complex,” he added. “That’s why I say I respect her art for channeling her experience — it wasn’t mine.”
In a recent interview with The Cut, Allen responded to his remarks, saying, “I thought that was a generous comment.” She noted his current success, including an Emmy nomination, and added, “We’re each pursuing our own paths, doing what we’re meant to do. If there’s one thing I know about David Harbour, it’s that he’s a superb actor.”
News of Allen’s split from Harbour surfaced early last year, amid rumors that the Stranger Things star had been unfaithful. Allen later disclosed that she entered a treatment facility to cope with the emotional fallout of the breakup.
Allen and Harbour started dating in 2019 after meeting on the app Raya, and they married in a private Las Vegas ceremony in 2020.
Elsewhere in the interview, Allen said that several North American tour dates for ‘West End Girl’ were scaled back due to low ticket sales, noting simply, “The ticket sales weren’t there.”
Over the past year, she has performed the acclaimed 2025 album in its entirety on tour. The theatrical presentations feature her on stage alone, singing to backing tracks without addressing the audience.
Earlier this month she launched the U.S. leg of the tour with a large‑scale performance at Madison Square Garden. Originally slated for arenas nationwide, she shifted several dates to smaller venues in July and canceled a planned show in Montreal.