Lily Allen's Guilty Pleasure Confession Sparked Major Controversy

Given Lily Allen's tragic life story, which includes a tumultuous childhood with an absent father, followed by drug and alcohol addiction and later an eating disorder, it's easy to assume that her fans might be a bit overprotective of her. However, that seemingly couldn't be farther from the truth. In November 2024, they were quick to judge and throw serious shade at the "Smile" singer after she revealed on her BBC Sounds podcast "Miss Me?" with co-host Miquita Oliver that spending time away from her kids is her guilty pleasure.

To provide some context, Allen has two daughters, Ethel Mary Cooper and Marnie Rose Cooper, from her first marriage to ex-husband Sam Cooper. She is currently married to "Stranger Things" star David Harbour, although there have been split rumors circulating since late 2023. Because of Harbour's career as an actor, it appears that Allen is sometimes alone with the girls until he gets home from filming. By that point, Allen is ready for some serious kid-free tie. "Sometimes when I've been in New York with the kids for a month and David hasn't been around and I know I've got a trip planned somewhere, I'll get out of the door and just, 'Ahhhhh,"' Allen confessed. But this guilty pleasure is short-lived, as Allen admitted that she starts to feel bad within minutes. 

Unfortunately, many listeners didn't find her words relatable and resorted to bashing her. In a now-deleted comment, one person wrote on X: "I feel sorry for her kids. She obviously doesn't enjoy being a mother and one day they will read all this stuff." 

Lily Allen's guilty pleasure confession was not the first time she's spoken about being a mom in a way that rubbed folks the wrong way. In May 2024, Allen appeared on the "Radio Times Podcast," where host Kelly-Anne Taylor asked Allen if she planned to return to music. "I never really had a strategy when it comes to career. But yes, my children ruined my career." Allen answered. She quickly followed up, noting, "I mean, I love them and they complete me. But in terms of pop stardom, totally ruined it, yeah."

Similarly, this comment had the haters popping out of the woodwork to drag her down. "Why would she even publicly say this? So weird and f**ked up to say," wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter) in response to her comment. However, others resonated with Allen's candid admission. "It's refreshing to see honesty about the challenges of balancing career and motherhood. Lily Allen's candidness sheds light on the sacrifices many working parents make," penned one supporter. Another applauded her for speaking up about "how society makes it nearly impossible to succeed both in a career and as a mother." Allen's comment may have sounded harsh to some, but there was truth to it. In a "Miss Me?" episode in June 2024, Allen said that before she met David Harbour, she couldn't work because the money she was making wasn't enough to afford childcare in the UK.