Lily Allen’s off-duty censor
The British pop singer, though just 23, has already left a long trail of drunken public appearances, sexual indiscretions, and outrageous comments.
Lily Allen keeps saying things she shouldn’t, says Melena Ryzik in The New York Times. The British pop singer, though just 23, has already left a long trail of drunken public appearances, sexual indiscretions, and outrageous comments. At one awards show, she told Elton John to “f--- off” when he joked about her obvious inebriation. She was once cited by the police for assaulting a photographer. Last year she got very publicly pregnant and had a very public miscarriage. Allen is now trying to tone down her public image. “I’m learning how not to be in that world,” she says, but admits it’s a struggle. “My insecurities are a big part of me. I’m drawn toward wanting acceptance. I’m not a particularly private person. On tour, I’m in an odd world of drugs and alcohol and a different city each day. Interviews with strangers. The lines of reality get confused.” Because British tabloids are obsessed with her, her private relationships are very public. “It’s ironic because I’m not very good at them,” she says. “I’m good at having sex.” Her singing career, she admits, is just another way of getting attention. “I don’t really have anything I’m passionate about. It’s not music, which is a shame, because it would be good if it was.” She sighs. “I don’t protect myself. If someone asks me a question, I’m going to answer it.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
A nation moving apart
The Explainer Americans are increasingly sorting themselves into communities with shared politics. Is this bad for democracy?
By The Week US Published
-
'American democracy now seems perilously close to the point of no return'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 27, 2023
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - Cyber Monday sales, Trump's naughty list and more
By The Week US Published