David Harbour and Lily Allen were together for four years prior to the dissolution of their marriage. During that time, the former couple presumably learned a thing or two about each other, like the hyper-confessional style of writing Allen leans toward in her music. That said, her album West End Girl, which chronicles their relationship falling apart, didn’t come as much of a shock to Harbour — though he notes in his first public acknowledgment of the record that it “wasn’t my experience.”
“I do believe that it is the privilege of every artist to use their experience to create art, and so I respect her for doing that,” Harbour told Variety. “I can’t really say that much more, because it’s my private life. In spite of the fact that a lot of people don’t allow me a private life — I value it. And I also value the lives of the people that I interact with privately. I just won’t speak about that.”
Harbour added, “Stories are complex, and that’s why I say I respect her creation of art to channel her experience.” On West End Girl, Allen writes about a partner who requests to open up their marriage on “Ruminating” and who gaslights her about her acting talent on “West End Girl.” “Much of West End Girl finds Allen taking a brutal inventory of the scars she amassed while her marriage was falling apart,” Rolling Stone wrote in a review of the album. “It couldn’t have a happier ending than one where she’s beginning to remind herself of who she could be.”
While Harbour opted to keep his comments regarding his private experience with Allen limited, he also took the time to clear the air about his rumoured on-set conflict with his Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown. Last year, the Daily Mail reported Brown allegedly filed harassment and bullying claims against Harbour with producers of the show prior to shooting the final season.
“It’s a show that went on for 10 years. We worked together for 10 years during her formative teenage years, playing father and daughter. I don’t know if people have families and friends that you spend a lot of time with for 10 years — you occasionally get in arguments, disagreements,” Harbour said. “In families, it’s OK because you’re just in a disagreement and then you come back together. The problem with a billion-dollar show is that there’s just hundreds of people who want to get involved.”
Harbour said he and Brown resolved whatever issue they had “once we cleared everybody out of the way and talked to each other.” The actor went on to tease more collaborations with his longtime co-star. “You’ll see more of me and Millie — 10 years wasn’t enough,” he said. “There is a special bond there. I love her. She loves me.”
From Rolling Stone US
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