David Harbour has spoken publicly for the first time about Lily Allen’s album West End Girl, saying he respects her right to use her experiences to create art.
The Stranger Things actor was the subject of intense media attention following the release of Allen’s fifth studio album in October 2025.
The record, which was widely interpreted as being about the breakdown of her marriage to Harbour, includes songs that appear to address infidelity and the end of a relationship.
Speaking to Variety, Harbour said: “It was weird.
“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.
“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.”
When asked about the claims made in the album, Harbour added: “Stories are complex and that’s why I say I respect her creation of art to channel her experience.
“It wasn’t my experience.”
Allen, best known for songs including Smile and Not Fair, married Harbour in Las Vegas in 2020. The pair later separated, with their divorce finalised in 2025.
Harbour played small-town police chief Jim Hopper in all five seasons of Netflix’s Stranger Things, alongside Millie Bobby Brown and Winona Ryder.
He now appears in the dark comedy DTF St Louis, about a love triangle between three middle-aged adults that leads to a death.
Source: Press Association