British singer and actress Lily Allen claims that having two kids “totally ruined” her music career, and insisted that women can’t “have it all” with regards to having both a family and a flourishing career.
“My children ruined my career,” Allen said during a recent appearance on The Radio Times Podcast, after being asked if she had to “re-think career strategy” after she had children.
“I never really had a strategy when it comes to career, but yes, my children ruined my career,” the 38-year-old said. “I mean, I love them, and they complete me, but in terms of, like, you know, pop stardom, totally ruined it.”
The “Not Fair” singer went on to say that she finds it “really annoying” when people say that women can “have it all” with regards to children and a thriving career.
“It does not mix,” she insisted. “And it really annoys me when people say you can have it all, because quite frankly, you can’t.”
Allen has two children, 12-year-old Ethel Mary and 11-year-old Marnie Rose, with her ex-husband, Sam Cooper, whom she married in 2011 and divorced in 2018.
In 2020, Allen married Stranger Things star David Harbour.
Allen, who is the sister of Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen, went on to say that “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 repeat on my end,” she added.
“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 fucking crossed,” Allen asserted.
Someone else on the podcast then chimed in, claiming, “That’s so true what you said about [how] we are fed this narrative that we can have it all, and I don’t have kids, but I couldn’t do my job with two children at the moment.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.