Lily Allen divides fans after saying her kids 'ruined' her career

vt-author-image

By Nasima Khatun

Article saved!Article saved!

Lily Allen has divided fans after she stated that her kids "totally ruined" her career.

Appearing on an episode of the Radio Times Podcast with host Kelly-Anne Taylor and presenter Miquita Oliver, the 38-year-old opened up about how becoming a mom has impacted her career.

"I love them and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom, totally ruined it," Allen said.

"It really annoys me when people say you can have it all because, quite frankly, you can’t," added Allen, who welcomed her first child Ethel Mary in 2011 with her ex-husband Sam Cooper followed by Marnie Rose, whom the pair had in 2013.

Lily Allen stated that her kids "ruined" her career. Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty

The star then went on to reveal that her own childhood influenced the way she brought up her own kids.

"Some people choose their career over their children, and that’s their prerogative," she said on the podcast. "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.

"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," she continued before adding: "Fingers f****** crossed."

Allen shares two children, Ethel Mary, and Marnie Rose, with her ex-husband. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Her comments have divided people, with some praising the star's honesty, while others slammed her for talking about her children in such a negative manner.

"I'm pretty sure many celebs have kids and still have a career," wrote one user while another added: "It comes down to grit and dedication. There are moms out there with far less resources doing it while raising kids..."

However, others hit back with this one user writing: "Wow, everyone took that way too seriously. She sounds like a great mom because often the people that say 'you can have it all' aren’t putting their all into anything."

Allen performing in 2009. Credit: Tabatha Fireman/Redferns/Getty

Allen has previously spoken out about balancing a career while being a full-time mom, admitting that she's felt embarrassed about her music career not fully flourishing like she would have wanted it to.

"I... felt shame professionally if things didn’t turn out just so," she told InStyle in an interview back 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."

Apart from music, the 'Not Fair' singer has now shifted her focus to acting, appearing in West End roles for 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Pillowman, as well as the comedy-drama Dreamland which is available on Sky Atlantic.

Allen is also now married to Stranger Things star David Harbour after the pair tied the knot in Las Vegas back in 2020 after being divorced from Cooper for two years.

Featured Image Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty