Lily Allen has admitted that whilst her children “complete” her, she does blame them for the downfall of her singing career.
Allen is best known for her hit songs Smile, Not Fair, The Fear and Somewhere Only We Know, putting her stamp on the music industry with her niche voiced and – sometimes brutal – lyrics.
However, Allen hasn’t released any music since 2018 and recently claimed that if it wasn’t for her children, she would still be making music.
Speaking to the Radio Times Podcast, she explained: “You can’t have it all. My children ruined my career. I love them and they complete me, but in terms of pop-stardom, they totally ruined it.
“I get really annoyed when people say you can have it all because, quite frankly, you can’t. Some people choose their career over their children and that’s their prerogative.
“But my parents were quite absent when I was a kid. I feel like it left some nasty scars that I’m not willing to repeat on mine.”
Allen’s father, actor Keith Allen, walked out on her film producer mother Alison Owen when she was just four years old.
The Air Balloon singer added that she “chose to step back and concentrate on my children” and she’s glad that she has as “they’re pretty well-rounded”.
She shares her two daughters Ethel Mary, 12, and Marnie Rose, 10, with her ex-husband Sam Cooper and now lives with her husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour.
The comments made by Allen have left her fans divided, as one slammed on X: “Take ownership of your career and do not push the blame on others, especially your kids, whether intended or not please.”
“Don’t deserve kids talking like that, imagine her kids reading this,” another slammed whilst a third stated: “I hope her kids never get to read this.”
A fourth noted: “Someone who's career was off the back of being someone's child complaining her career was ruined by her children.”
“No - I think the change in your music & the lifestyle you led ruined your career,” another slammed.
Not everyone was upset with her comments, as one fan said: “She basically says she chose to be there for her kids over her career and she’s happy she did that.
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“Only being honest you can’t have it both ways and she did the right thing compared to most celebs they choose career over kids.” (sic)
Over the years, Allen has been open about her previous drug abuse and how she “found God” and finally found peace and sobriety.
