Who Are Lily Allen's Parents? Her Strained Relationship With Her Family

“Allen” is a recognizable last name in Hollywood. There’s Lily Allen, the British pop star, known for her chart-topping hits, such as “Smile,” “Not Fair,” and “LDN.” She’s also married to Stranger Things actor, David Harbour.

But she’s not the only famous Allen in Hollywood — the majority of her immediate family also works in the industry. This has complicated some family matters over the years. Keep reading for a peek at the roots of Lily's family tree.

Lily is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Keith, 70, is most known for his work in The Others, 24 Hour Party People, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. He was married to Lily’s mother, Alison, from 1982 to 1989. Alison, 63, is a film producer known for her involvement in Elizabeth, Saving Mr. Banks, and The Giver.

Lily’s most famous sibling is Alfie Allen who portrayed Theon Greyjoy during all eight seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Lily is incredibly close to her brother.

In 2006, she even released a song named after him called “Alfie.” Since the song was about her brother’s weed-smoking habits, he wasn’t too happy about it initially.

During an interview with Radio Times, she shared that her parents were “quite absent” when she was a child. Not wanting her kids to experience the same, she took a step back from her career when she was 38. The singer shares two daughters, Ethel and Marnie, with her previous husband, Sam Cooper.

“I feel like that really left some nasty scars that I’m not willing to repeat [on my children],” Lily said.

“I chose stepping back and concentrating on them, and I’m glad that I have done that because I think they’re pretty well-rounded people,” she said.

According to Lily, this sacrifice came at the cost of her career. She told Radio Times that having kids “totally ruined” her career.

“I never really have a strategy when it comes to career, but yes, my children ruined my career,” she said.

She jokingly added, “I mean I love them and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom, totally ruined it. It really annoys me when people say you can have it all because, quite frankly, you can’t. Some people choose their career over their children and that’s their prerogative.”

A lot of their issues stem from her father walking out on the family. “My dad walked out on me when I was 4, I’m sick of this,” she reportedly tweeted. “My dad was at Latitude when I headlined and didn’t even come to see me. I’ve probably spent more time walking my dogs than I have with my dad my entire life.”

She further spoke about her issues in her 2018 memoir, My Thoughts Exactly, calling him a “self-saboteur” and a “narcissist.”

Then, in a 2021 interview with the Telegraph, she theorized that her dad resented her for her success.

“I think that also my parents… Not my mom, but maybe my dad was, like, pissed off that they kind of gave me the short straw as a kid and then, against all odds, I had kind of gone 'f--k off' and done even better than them."