Lily Allen Opens Up About “Really Bad” Eating Struggles

Lily Allen has revealed that the emotional fallout from her split from David Harbour drove her into some of the darkest moments of her life, including severe eating problems and nearly relapsing on alcohol and drugs.

In a raw interview with British Vogue, the 40-year-old pop star shared how what began as internal turmoil became full-blown health issues.

Lily said:

“I’ve had real problems with my food over the past few years. It got really, really, really bad.”
“The feelings of despair that I was experiencing were so strong… The last time that I felt anything like that, drugs and alcohol were my way out, so it was excruciating to sit with those [feelings] and not use them.”

What Triggered the Downfall of Lily Allen

Her marriage to David Harbour ended in February 2025 after four years together. The breakup, she says, coincided with increasing emotional distress: disrupted sleep, loss of appetite, eating so little that her body and brain felt disconnected.

Lily also revealed that she was diagnosed with ADHD in 2023 and believes this played a role:

“My body and my brain are two very separate things to me… I’m not avoiding food, I’m just not thinking about it… my body is, like, a few steps behind me.”

Recovery, Sobriety and Seeking Help

Already sober for six years, Lily said this period posed one of the hardest tests of her sobriety yet. Without drugs or alcohol to escape into, she found herself facing raw, unfiltered emotions. The pain got so intense that she opted to check into a treatment facility for support and recovery.

On her podcast Miss Me?, Lily reflected on how she’d been “spiralling and spiralling” and how the episodes of despair made daily life feel unbearable. In that sense, the admission of her eating issues and mental-health crisis marks a continued willingness to speak openly.

Why This Matters & What It Reveals

• Mental health in the public eye: Lily’s story highlights how fame and public relationships intersect with deeply personal health struggles—eating disorders, addiction, heartbreak—and how they remain hidden until the pressure becomes too much.
• Eating disorders and underlying causes: Her comments about hunger signals not reaching her brain underline how complex disorders can be, beyond mere “choice.”
• Sobriety under strain: Maintaining sobriety amid intense emotional crisis is a major theme—her honesty reinforces that relapse is more about context and support than willpower alone.
• Celebrity vulnerability: By speaking out, Lily offers a rare view of a public figure who not only frames recovery as a finished chapter, but as an ongoing journey.

What to Watch

• How Lily’s upcoming album might draw on these experiences—her emotional state, the split, the recovery—given her previous albums have been deeply personal.
• Her future public statements on mental health, eating disorders and addiction—whether she becomes more of an advocate or supports others via her platform.
• How fans, the media and the health-community respond to her openness—and whether it shifts how these issues are covered.

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