The Truth Behind Lily Allen’s ‘Revenge Album’ And David Harbour’s Disappearance
By Chukwudi Onyewuchi on October 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM EDT
Lily Allen’s new album “West End Girl” has exploded onto the charts and into controversy.
The singer’s brutally honest lyrics about betrayal and heartbreak have set the internet ablaze, with fans convinced the songs expose shocking secrets about her ex-husband, “Stranger Things” actor David Harbour.
As Allen celebrates her biggest music comeback in years, Harbour has vanished from public view, leaving everyone wondering whether the pop star’s “revenge album” has cost him his reputation and career.
Lily Allen’s Explosive New Album Sparks Global Drama
Allen’s fifth studio album, “West End Girl,” dropped on Friday, October 24, quickly shooting to the top of the UK iTunes charts and gaining over eight million Spotify streams within days.
However, it’s not just the catchy tunes that have everyone talking; the shocking lyrics are as well.
The 40-year-old sings about open marriage, cheating, and emotional pain, painting a clear picture of a relationship that fell apart.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Allen said the songs came from a real place.
“Nobody knew what was going on in my life,” she said. “So I go into the studio, cried for two hours and then said, ‘Let’s make some music.’”
While the pop star says she used “artistic licence,” she also admitted that some of the lyrics were taken directly from her experiences with Harbour, making it her most personal album so far.
Allen’s Lyrics Allegedly Target David Harbour’s Infidelity
Fans quickly began linking Lily Allen’s lyrics to her ex-husband.
One track, “Madeline,” shocked listeners with its story of an “arrangement” between partners and a lover who broke the rules.
“We had an arrangement,” Allen sings. “Be discrete and don’t be blatant. There had to be payment. It had to be with strangers. But you’re not a stranger, Madeline.”
Soon after the album came out, The Mail on Sunday revealed that “Madeline” was actually a pseudonym for Natalie Tippett, a 34-year-old costume designer who worked with Harbour on the 2021 Netflix movie “We Have A Ghost.”
Speaking about the song to the outlet, Tippett revealed, “Of course I’ve heard the song,” adding that the situation was “a little bit scary” for her and her family.
The revelation made fans even more sure that “West End Girl” isn’t just art, but payback.
Lily Allen’s ‘West End Girl’ Could Derail Harbour’s Career
Behind Allen’s music success, there’s a darker side, one that might damage Harbour’s career.
According to Daily Mail insiders, the timing of “West End Girl” is no coincidence.
Netflix sources reportedly believe the album’s release was meant to “undermine” the actor just before the final season of “Stranger Things,” which premieres on November 27.
“It was hugely emotional for him and the cast to bring this story to an end, and it’s something he is very proud of,” a Netflix insider said of Harbour. “But there’s no way he can now be part of the press tour while this is going on.”
The 50-year-old also has major films coming up, including a new "Avengers" movie, but the ongoing backlash could affect his work.
With Hollywood still sensitive after the #MeToo era, even rumors of bad behavior can cause major problems, and Allen’s lyrics have put Harbour right in the middle of it all.
Inside Allen And Harbour’s Relationship
Lily Allen and David Harbour’s relationship began in 2019, when she had just ended a long-term romance and he was rising to fame through “Stranger Things.”
They married a year later in a fun Las Vegas ceremony led by an Elvis Presley impersonator.
At first, it seemed like a fairy-tale love story, with Harbour even calling Allen “a beautiful, incredible woman who I love.”
However, the cracks soon appeared. While the actress was thriving in London’s West End with her play, “2:22 A Ghost Story,” her estranged husband was in New York and reportedly jealous of her success.
He even sent her “bad luck flowers,” joking that if she got great reviews, he’d “be miserable.”
Eventually, their distance led to a difficult moment, during which Harbour suggested they open their marriage.
Allen recorded that painful conversation in the outro of the album’s title track, saying, “It doesn’t make me feel great… it makes me really sad.”
Lily Allen’s Revenge Hits Hard As David Harbour Vanishes From Sight
By 2023, the marriage had fallen apart. In February this year, they confirmed their split, just after Allen was seen on the dating app Raya under the name “Dallas Major.”
She also started an OnlyFans account, reportedly earning more there than from music streaming.
Meanwhile, Harbour vanished from the public eye, turning off comments on social media as online criticism grew.
Allen’s new lyrics revealed the pain behind the scenes.
In "Pussy Palace," she describes finding “a shoebox full of handwritten letters” from other women in Harbour’s Brooklyn townhouse, the same one featured in Architectural Digest in 2023.
Whether every lyric is true or not, “West End Girl” is bad news for Harbour, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Meanwhile, in the actor’s defense, a source close to Harbour believes Allen’s album is all about cashing out rather than payback.
“She was advised if she wanted to sell albums then she would have to sing about David, and now she’s cashing in,” they stated.
