David Harbour on Lily Allen’s Divorce Album: “That Wasn’t My Experience”

David Harbour responded for the first time in an interview published today, Wednesday, to the ugly divorce album his ex-wife, singer Lily Allen, released eight months ago. He declined to address the allegations of cheating and a toxic relationship.

The album in question, West End Girl, dealt with the painful breakdown of the couple’s marriage and included detailed descriptions of a toxic, deceitful relationship and emotional manipulation. The British singer described the songs on the album as a mix of fact and fiction, and it was released less than a year after the two separated.

“It was strange,” Harbour said for the first time in an interview with Variety. “I believe every artist has the right to use their life experiences to create art, so I respect her for that.”

Harbour chose not to go into detail. “I really can’t say much beyond that because it’s my private life. Even though a lot of people don’t allow me privacy, I value it. And I also value the lives of the people I have private relationships with. I simply won’t talk about it.”

When asked whether he wanted to refute some of the claims in the album, he replied: “Stories are complex. That’s why I say I respect her artistic work and the way she channeled her experience into it. That just wasn’t my experience.”

As for the song about the “mistress,” Madeline, Allen said in an interview with Vogue at the time that “there are things on the album that I experienced within my marriage, but that doesn’t mean everything is absolutely true. It is definitely inspired by what happened in the relationship.” Since its success, the British star has gone on tour, and she is also in talks to develop a play based on the album’s songs.

That was not the only dirty laundry Harbour had to contend with. Days after the album’s release, the British tabloid Daily Mail reported that Millie Bobby Brown, the lead actress in Stranger Things, had filed “pages upon pages” of a bullying and harassment complaint against him. The report came at a particularly sensitive time, about three weeks before the fifth and final season of the Netflix hit was set to premiere, alongside a massive publicity campaign.

In his latest interview, the 51-year-old Harbour described the report as false and said, “I had a breakdown.” He noted that the timing was “strange,” since it came just one week after Allen released the album, which included harsh criticism of him, and when his name was already appearing in gossip columns in a negative context.

“Millie and I worked together for ten years, throughout her adolescence, playing father and daughter,” said Harbour, who has previously spoken about his struggle with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. “I don’t know if people have family or friends they spend that much time with, but every so often there are arguments and disagreements. In a family that’s fine, because you argue and then make up. The problem is that when it’s a series worth billions of dollars, there are hundreds of people who want to get involved.”

However, Harbour admitted that at times he behaved in ways that were, in his view, “embarrassing” on set: “I think a lot of people have a friend, sibling or coworker who is dealing with mental health issues, and they’re probably pretty confused when that person goes into depression, mania or has an episode. In times of extreme stress, that can lead to somewhat unstable behavior, and it’s embarrassing and I’m ashamed of it. It’s not my choice, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I feel that sometimes our talents are inseparably tied to our illnesses. A nervous system that responds to the world too sensitively can allow me to create moments I love as an actor, but it can also make me, in moments of extreme stress, behave a little strangely.”

On his current relationship with Brown, he said: “Millie and I are working together on several projects. You’ll see more of me and her. Ten years wasn’t enough. There is a special bond between us. I love her, and she loves me.”

Brown herself, now 22, also issued a positive statement about their relationship, while acknowledging there were difficult moments during their work together: “Over time our relationship became much more collaborative creatively. When you work with someone for so many years, you can push each other emotionally within scenes. Even though the series has ended, there is still a lot of gratitude. The experience I shared with him over all those years is something I will always remember and cherish.”