“Stranger Things” star David Harbour and singer Lily Allen were first rumored to have separated in December 2024. The reports were then confirmed in February, and she released her fifth album, “West End Girl,” in October, reportedly about their breakup. Now, months later, Harbour is breaking his silence and also discussing his mental health.
Harbour interviewed with Variety in June 2026. During the chat, the topic of his breakup with Allen came up, as did “West End Girl.”
Notably, on the album, one song depicts a partner who is jealous of her success and keeps a separate apartment to have sex with other people. Because of their relationship, many assumed the description to be about the “Stranger Things” alum.
Harbour offered his reaction, saying, “It was weird.” He continued, “I do believe that it is the privilege of every artist to use their experience to create art, and so I respect her for doing that.”
After that, he stated, “I can’t really say that much more because it’s my private life. In spite of the fact that a lot of people don’t allow me a private life — I value it. And I also value the lives of the people that I interact with privately. I just won’t speak about that.”
When told he had the license to debunk any of the claims made on “West End Girl,” Harbour tempered his comments. According to him, “Stories are complex, and that’s why I say I respect her creation of art to channel her experience. It wasn’t my experience.”
It’s also important to note that Allen has stated that she used her “artistic license” for the album and that not all the stories are real experiences.
David Says He Had A Break Down
Harbour has been open about his struggles with mental health. This includes vulnerably discussing being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his 20s. In his Variety interview, the reporter noted that his public image suffered in December after he was accused of erratic behavior in public.
In reflecting on this time in his life, Harbour revealed, “I had a breakdown.” He went on, “I do suffer from some confusing stuff — it’s confusing as hell. I think a lot of people have a friend or a brother or a co-worker that deals with mental health stuff, and they’re probably pretty confused when that person gets depressed or gets manic or has an episode.”
He then discussed the oftentimes harsh ways the public reacts to people with mental health conditions. According to him, “There’s a lot of irresponsible nonsense going on out there.” After that, as an example, he mentioned John Davidson, who shouted a racial slur at the BAFTA Awards.
The actor stated, “That poor guy with Tourette’s and that unfortunate situation — we’re either going to acknowledge that mental illness is a thing or we’re not. We can stone everyone to death if you want!”
Following the Variety interview, social media is reacting to Harbour’s comments both about Allen’s “West End Girl” and his mental health struggles. Overall, most respect his decision to mostly remain silent about his breakup with the singer.
One person wrote, “It’s probably best for both David and Lily that they just not speak about one another. Why do some famous people feel the need to bash their exes and keep the drama going?”
Someone else wrote, “What happened between them is no one’s business.” Regarding his mental health, one social media user said, “Good on him for being open and honest and what he went through.”
However, a different social media user pointed out the disparity between how people in Hollywood with mental health conditions are treated and the difficulties non-famous people face.
They wrote, “Props to Harbour for owning this, but let’s be real, Hollywood romanticizes ‘gifts linked to illness’ while the rest of us lose jobs and relationships over the same chaos. Therapy’s great, but where’s the accountability line?”
The Actor Previosuly Opened Up About Being Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder
Harbour appeared on the WTF Podcast in 2018. During the interview, he detailed what led to his bipolar disorder diagnosis, revealing that it came after a manic episode. He shared, “I was sober for like a year and a half, and I was 25, and I actually did have a manic episode, and I was diagnosed as bipolar.”
The “DTF: St Louis” star continued, “I really had, like, a bit of a break where I thought I was in connection to some sort of god that I wasn’t really in connection to… It was like I had all the answers, suddenly.”
He continued the story, recalling, “Yeah, so I actually was, by my parents, taken into a mental asylum for a little bit.” Harbour then began taking medication, noting, “I’ve been medicated bipolar for a long time, and I’ve had problems going on and off. I’ve had a struggle, going on and off the medications.”
David Is Set For A New Movie
Currently, Harbour has several projects in various stages of production. Recently, in June 2026, Deadline reported that he’s been tapped to star alongside Gabby Hoffman in a new dark comedy, “Little One.” Per IMDb, the production is underway.
He is also set to appear in such films as “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Violent Night 2.”
