Even though David Harbour and Lily Allen split last December, with Lily’s new album West End Girl out, people are revisiting old clips, posts, and interviews, noticing questionable comments David made about Lily that don’t exactly reflect well in hindsight.
Lily and David met in 2019 on the celebrity dating app Raya and got married in 2020. Along with marrying Lily, David became stepdad to her two daughters, Ethel, 13, and Marnie, 12. They split in December last year, after four years of marriage. Soon after, Lily began work on West End Girl, an album that people have described as brutally honest about their marriage and breakup.
So, here’s a look back at some of the times David Harbour’s questionable words and actions drew attention.
The ‘sinister’ note
This note is so sinister in hindsight after listening to West End Girl. David Harbour could not stand that is wife might find success as an actress. He must have crashed out when she was nominated for an Olivier Award – equivalent to his Tony nomination. pic.twitter.com/8nTol9YwiV
— Decade Scrolling (@DecadeScrolling) October 23, 2025
One of the earliest concerning moments came from a note David sent Lily during her West End debut. The note, with a bouquet of flowers, read, “My ambitious wife, these are bad luck flowers, ’cause if you get reviewed well in this play you will get all kinds of awards and I’ll be miserable. Your loving husband.”
People immediately noticed the hostility. One person wrote, “This is so backhanded. He really was HARBOURING some resentment there.”
The Instagram pop album joke
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Ahead of Lily’s play premiere for 2:22 A Ghost Story in 2021, David posted a photo on Instagram celebrating her performance. But the caption included a joke that rubbed people the wrong way. He wrote, “Very proud of my slightly nervous, immensely brave, annoyingly talented wife… Also, very excited to announce I’ve been working on a pop album. Get ready, ’cause it’s gonna suck!”
Many thought the joke was inappropriate, especially since the comments were later disabled.
The awkward Olivier Awards moment
Shortly after moving, she gets offered the lead in a play called 2:22. Dave, a serious theatre actor, is annoyed that she didn’t need to audition. Duh she’s Lily fucking Allen and were’s the support Dave?! Are you jealous of her success? pic.twitter.com/W2vHg7ewkj
— Decade Scrolling (@DecadeScrolling) October 24, 2025
At the 2022 Olivier Awards, Lily was nominated for Best Actress, and David attended with her. During a red carpet interview, he spoke over her while she was answering questions. He said, “This is. I’ve done about a hundred thousand plays, never been recognised.” Then through gritted teeth, he added, “Congratulations, darling,” before turning away from both Lily and the journalist.
One person wrote, “Who openly shows jealousy like that on camera?” Another added, “That ‘congratulations’ was so passive-aggressive, it hurts.”
The Brooklyn house tour and cheating joke
Then there was the 2023 Architectural Digest house tour in Brooklyn. During the clip, David jokingly greeted the camera crew as if they were an ex, “Oh God. What the hell are you doing here? I mean, last time I was single and living on the Lower East Side. I have a family now. Kids… this is so embarrassing. You look good though. Come on in.”
People now watch that clip in a very different light, especially after the release of West End Girl, which includes lyrics about infidelity. The joke that once seemed playful now feels a little telling.
In the wake of Lily Allen’s new album, David Harbour’s cheeky jokes haven’t aged well.
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