Lily Allen’s West End Girl has become one of the most talked about releases of the year, a confessional record that appears to lift the lid on her marriage to Stranger Things actor David Harbour and has prompted unexpected reactions from his exes and co stars alike.
The 14 track record, released last week to glowing reviews, charts the semi fictional story of Allen’s relationship with the American actor, and it does not hold back.
Across songs such as Madeline and Tennis, the Smile singer accuses Harbour of cheating, gaslighting and lying during their four year marriage. She also reveals that the couple had an open arrangement that allowed him to discreetly meet “strangers” for which there “would have to be payment.”
The arrangement fell apart however when Allen allegedly discovered messages between Harbour and a woman named Madeline, who fans have linked to costume designer Natalie Tippet. In Pussy Palace, Allen describes uncovering what she calls Harbour’s “double life” in his New York apartment, even questioning whether her husband might be a “sex addict.”
“Found a shoebox full of handwritten letters from broken hearted women wishing you could have been better,” she sings, later referencing “a bag full of sex toys, butt plugs and lube inside.”
Harbour, who has stayed silent on the record’s release, has found himself at the centre of social media discussion, and some of his past partners and collaborators appear to be showing quiet solidarity with Allen.
Florence Pugh
Brit star Florence Pugh, who played Harbour’s on screen daughter in recent Marvel film Thunderbolts, has interacted with several of Allen’s posts about West End Girl. The Oppenheimer star liked two of Allen’s recent Instagram posts promoting the album, a subtle but clear show of support.
Alison Sudol
Harbour’s former girlfriend Alison Sudol, best known for her role as Queenie in the Fantastic Beasts series, also made her feelings known. She commented on Allen’s post promoting West End Girl with seven flame emojis.
Sudol, 40, dated Harbour in 2018 before he met Allen. That same year, she called herself “a lucky woman” to have him in her life. In a Valentine’s Day tribute she described him as “a generous, large hearted, roaring wonder of a person,” and “a caring, deep, intuitive individual.” The couple split later that year.
Julia Styles
Actress Julia Stiles, who dated Harbour between 2011 and 2015, has also been engaging with Allen’s posts. The 10 Things I Hate About You star has liked several of Allen’s recent uploads promoting the record.
Stiles, now 44, reportedly lived with Harbour in New York during their relationship, though the pair largely stayed out of the public eye. The reason for their split has never been confirmed.
Milla Jovovich
Model and Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich, who worked with Harbour on the 2019 reboot of Hellboy, has also been spotted liking a number of Allen’s West End Girl posts.
At the time of the film’s release, Jovovich was effusive about her co star, telling reporters that Harbour was “such an intelligent person, such a fun human being,” and predicted he could go on to become “a big time director.”
Lily Rabe
American actress Lily Rabe, best known for American Horror Story, also appears to have quietly sided with Allen. She co starred with Harbour in a 2010 stage production of The Merchant of Venice, where they played a romantic couple.
Rabe has liked several of Allen’s recent posts and was photographed alongside both Harbour and Allen at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Downtown Owl, which Rabe co directed with her partner Hamish Linklater.
Archie Madekwe
British actor Archie Madekwe, who appeared opposite Harbour in the 2023 film Gran Turismo, went one step further by attending Allen’s West End Girl Fall celebration in New York last week.
The Saltburn star posed for photos with the singer, who shared the moment online, captioning it: “Where better to kick off West End Girl Fall? It’s NY or nowhere.”
Harbour had previously spoken warmly about working with Madekwe, telling Screen Rant that their chemistry on set came easily. “It was pretty easy and natural, and that’s rare,” he said at the time. “I think that’s a testament to Archie.”
As Allen’s album continues to dominate headlines, Harbour has yet to publicly comment on the lyrics that appear to draw directly from their marriage.
His silence comes as he faces fresh scrutiny following reports this month that Stranger Things co star Millie Bobby Brown had previously raised concerns about his behaviour on set.
An internal enquiry was said to have taken place, although Harbour has not addressed these claims.
