Lily Allen has revealed how her painful breakup with Stranger Things star David Harbour affected her mental health, while also expressing compassion for her former spouse. 'My kids had an amazing experience living in America for five years, and I have a lot of compassion for my ex-husband. I think we all suffer,' the 40-year-old singer told British Vogue.
Allen and Harbour married in 2020 after dating for a year, but quietly split in late 2024. The singer said she became suicidal after discovering Harbour had a secret profile on the celebrity dating app Raya. She reportedly joined the app herself, posing as someone 'looking for women', and found his profile, which left her in 'agony'.
Following the split, Allen voluntarily entered a £8,000-a-week residential treatment facility. 'I've been into those places before against my will and I feel like that's progress in itself,' she said. She also admitted she 'came close to relapsing on drink and drugs and developed a really, really bad problem with food'.
Allen, sober for six years, explained the despair was overwhelming. 'The feelings of despair that I was experiencing were so strong. The last time that I felt anything like that, drugs and alcohol were my way out, so it was excruciating to sit with those [feelings] and not to use them.' She added that her self-awareness was a sign of strength.
After selling the Brooklyn townhouse she shared with Harbour, Allen purchased an ex-council flat in London to raise her two daughters. 'This flat that I’ve bought is in a social housing building... I have wanted to live in this building since I was a baby,' she said on her podcast. Decorating the flat has helped her through the difficult period.
