David Harbour has spoken publicly for the first time about ex-wife Lily Allen's break-up album, describing the experience of hearing the record as "weird".
Lily Allen and David Harbour. Ovidiu Hrubaru, Shutterstock
In an exclusive interview with Variety, the Stranger Things star addressed Allen's critically acclaimed album 'West End Girl', which was widely interpreted as drawing on their marriage and subsequent split.
The former couple married in Las Vegas in 2020 before finalising their divorce in February 2025.
Later that year, Allen released West End Girl, featuring songs that reference an open marriage, infidelity, emotional manipulation and a secret apartment dubbed the "Pussy Palace".
@lilyallen kept the receipts… #OnTour ♬ 4chan Stan - Lily Allen
Speaking to Variety, Harbour said he respected Allen's decision to channel her experiences into her music, despite not recognising the album's portrayal of events as his own.
"It was weird," he said. "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."
The actor declined to go into further detail about the claims made in the album, stressing the importance he places on privacy.
"I can't really say that much more, because it's my private life," he told Variety.
"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."
David Harbour and Stranger Things costar Millie Bobby Brown. Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock
According to Variety, the album landed amid intense public scrutiny of the pair's relationship. While Allen has previously said the record uses "artistic license" and is not entirely factual, lyrics describing extramarital activity and marital tensions sparked widespread speculation online.
Harbour acknowledged that both parties may view the breakdown of their relationship differently.
"Stories are complex," he said. "And that's why I say I respect her creation of art to channel her experience. It wasn't my experience."
The interview forms part of a wider conversation with Variety, in which Harbour also discusses his recent mental health struggles and life following the end of his marriage to Allen.
