Lily Allen Says Having Kids ‘Ruined My Career’
You’d think that a woman with carpeting around her bathtub could say she has it all, but for Lily Allen, that’s not the case. Allen, who’s married to Stranger Things guy David Harbour and shares two daughters with her ex-husband, Sam Cooper, recently offered a refreshingly cynical perspective on being a mother–slash–professional singer.
During an interview on the Radio Times Podcast, Allen was asked if she changed her career path when she had children. “I never really had a strategy when it comes to a career,” she answered, laughing, “but yes, my children ruined my career. I love them and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom? Totally ruined it.”
Allen, who released her last full-length album in 2018 and briefly performed during Olivia Rodrigo’s June 2022 set at Glastonbury Festival, talked about stepping back from work to concentrate on her children. “Some people choose their career over their children, and that’s their prerogative,” she said. “But my parents were quite absent when I was a kid, and I feel like that really left some nasty scars that I’m not willing to repeat on mine.” (Allen’s father is an actor, and her mother is a film producer.)
She added, “It really annoys me when people say you can have it all because, quite frankly, you can’t.” The last two chairs at the defunct Wing headquarters are fuming.
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