The woman believed to be the subject of Lily Allen's song 'Madeline' has come forward, identifying herself as costume designer Natalie Tippett. The 34-year-old single mother from New Orleans has confirmed she is the person Allen sings about in the track from her new album, which addresses ex-husband David Harbour's infidelity.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Tippett acknowledged hearing the song but remained guarded. 'Of course I’ve heard the song. But I have a family and things to protect,' she said. 'I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and I understand this is going on. It’s a little bit scary for me.'
Tippett is thought to have met Harbour, 50, while he was filming the Netflix movie 'We Have A Ghost' in New Orleans in 2021, where she worked in the costume department. The affair allegedly began shortly after filming started. Their involvement was exposed when Allen read a text message sent to Harbour's phone, which she references in the song 'Tennis'.
In the track, Allen sings: 'So I read your text, and now I regret it. I can’t get my head round how you’ve been playing tennis. If it was just sex, I wouldn’t be jealous. You won’t play with me and who’s Madeline?' She also mimics the other woman's voice, insisting the relationship 'has only ever been about sex'.
Allen and Harbour split in January, with reports stating they had separated in December. Allen spent Christmas in Kenya alone with her children. She has spoken openly about struggling with the divorce, telling British Vogue it was hard not to turn to 'drugs and alcohol' to cope, though she has been sober for five years. Harbour declined to comment on the split in a GQ interview, saying it would encourage 'a salacious s--- show of humiliation'.
