Singer Lily Allen Admits Her Children Ruined Her Career

In a recent interview, Lily Allen discussed a susceptible topic, revealing how balancing parenthood and her life as a music star “totally ruined” her career. Lily Allen is the mother of two daughters; Ethel was born in 2011 and Marnie was born in 2013. Following their amicable divorce in 2016, Lily and her ex-husband Sam Cooper share custody of the two daughters.

Lily’s Experiences In Motherhood

The 38-year-old British singer was a guest on the March 12 edition of the “Radio Times Podcast,” where she discussed how having a child affects her career. In the episode, Allen shared her almost two decades in the music business and some reflection after breaking through as a pop sensation in 2006 with the release of her hit song “Smile.” The singer responded bluntly when host Kelly-Anne Taylor asked if Allen had rethought her strategy for managing the music business in light of having two children.

Lily candidly said that she never had strategies for her music career but admitted that her children ruined her career. She continued that she loves her children and they complete them but her pop stardom was “totally ruined” by them. Miquita Oliver, a television personality and podcast guest, expressed her appreciation for Allen’s honesty, which made Taylor laugh. Miquita said that it was a really good answer and that she was glad to hear someone respond honestly as people would say, “Oh, of course not”.

Allen asked not to mix both motherhood and career. She also said that it annoys her when others say people can have it all because she feels that it could not happen.

The Reason Behind Allen Prioritizing Children Over Career

In the interview, Lily spoke about her own upbringing and expressed her desire for her kids to grow up differently with committed parents. She said that her childhood experiences made her prioritize raising her children over her musical career. She said that some people chose their careers over children which she regarded as their prerogative. She shared her experience as a child when her parents were absent due to their busy schedules. She said that it left some nasty scars in her childhood which she did not wish to repeat in her parenting journey. So she decided to step back and concentrate on her children. She said she was glad about her decision as it made them pretty well-rounded people.

Lily who is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and  Alison Owen, a film producer who separated when she was just four years old, further shared an incident in her childhood when she was left outside as her parents went out for a meal. She said that as there was not enough space for kids, they would be left outside, going around Portobello Market and shoplifting things.

Read more: Hollywood Legacies Drew Barrymore And Christina Aguilera Discuss Empowering Daughters

Lily’s Musical Journey

With the release of her album “Alright Still” in 2006, which included singles like Smile, LDN, and Alfie, Lily’s stardom reached its height. Released in 2008, her subsequent album “It’s Not Me It’s You” had hits including 22, Not Fair, Fu*k You, and The Fear. Her 2014 album “Sheezus” and her 2018 album “No Shame” did not receive the same critical praise and commercial success as her previous songs after she took a pause and became a mother. 

Lily is now staying with her kids and her new partner, David Harbour, who gained popularity as Hopper in the wildly popular Stranger Things television series. After meeting on a dating platform, the couple was married in 2020. Lily has recently taken up acting and featured in 2:22 A Ghost Story on the West End.