“Year Of The Women” Star Lily Allen Says Having Children “Ruined Her Career”
Lily Allen has no regrets about her decision to prioritize motherhood, even at the expense of her career, the singer and actress revealed in a recent interview.
“My children ruined my career,” the 38-year-old admitted to the Radio Times Podcast host, Kelly-Anne Taylor.
“I love them, and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom, they totally ruined it.”
- Lily Allen says her children "ruined" her pop stardom, but she has no regrets.
- The actress and singer prioritized being a present mother over her career due to her own upbringing.
- Lily criticizes the notion that one can "have it all" after becoming a parent.
Lily rose to fame at 21 years old when her debut single, Smile, reached the number 1 spot on the UK charts and propelled her into global stardom.
Lily Allen has opened up about her decision to prioritize motherhood over her musical career
Image credits: Radio Times
The English talent shares daughters Ethel Mary, 12, and Marnie Rose, 11, with her ex-husband Sam Cooper. The two divorced in 2018.
According to Lily, the empowering speech of balancing parenthood with a successful career can be overly ambitious and unrealistic.
“Does not mix,” she affirmed. “It really annoys me when people say you can have it all because, quite frankly, you can’t.”
Being a present mother was crucial for Lily, given the distant relationship she had with her parents, actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen, during her childhood.
The English star has two daughters: Ethel Mary, 12, and Marnie Rose, 11, with her ex-husband Sam Cooper
Image credits: Dave Benett/WireImage
“Some people choose their career over their children, and that’s their prerogative.
“But my parents were quite absent when I was a kid, and I feel like that really left some nasty scars that I’m not willing to, you know, repeat on mine,” Lily continued.
“So I chose stepping back and concentrating on them, and I’m glad that I have done that because I think they’re pretty well-rounded people. Fingers f—— crossed.”
“I love them, and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom, they totally ruined it,” she said of her children
Image credits: Radio Times
The singer-songwriter, who tied the knot with Stranger Things star David Harbour in 2020, has previously opened up about the pressure she felt to be accepted and thrive in the music industry.
“I also felt shame professionally if things didn’t turn out just so,” she told InStyle in 2020.
“I was trying to please everybody, so if the record company wasn’t happy with my sales or people were criticizing the way I looked, I felt as if I had to do whatever it took to be considered successful.”
In the past years, the artist has focused on her acting projects, starring in the West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story, for which she received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress.
Last year, Lily acted in The Pillowman, staged at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London.
Now, she will disembark on the podcast world, as she announced on Tuesday (March 12) the launch of a new show that she will co-host with her friend Oliver.
The podcast, titled Miss Me?, will be available on BBC Sounds from Thursday (March 14).
While some believed her words were too harsh, others thought Lily was being realistic
She's very fortunate to be able to step back from working to focus on her children. Not all parents have the finances or options to be able to support that, and they have to work and parent.
Lily Allen aka Veruca Salt. Mummy, mummy, I want a record deal. Certainly darling, mummy's a record producer I'll sort that now. Daddy, daddy, I want a chat show, certainly darling, daddy will give his BBC friends a ring and get you one (2 seasons despite non-existent viewing figures and terrible reviews).
She's very fortunate to be able to step back from working to focus on her children. Not all parents have the finances or options to be able to support that, and they have to work and parent.
Lily Allen aka Veruca Salt. Mummy, mummy, I want a record deal. Certainly darling, mummy's a record producer I'll sort that now. Daddy, daddy, I want a chat show, certainly darling, daddy will give his BBC friends a ring and get you one (2 seasons despite non-existent viewing figures and terrible reviews).
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