‘I was lonely, isolated and scared.’ Lily Allen on the abuse she endured from the British press.

Lily Allen was a fixture on the UK party scene and the festival circuit throughout the late '00s.

For a short time, she appeared to be everywhere. Lily was playing on radio, starring in music videos, making us laugh in TV interviews, and more egregiously, she was constantly being tapped, with her face covering practically every British tabloid.

And of course, a lot of this coverage was less than flattering, with cruel headlines targeting Lily's appearance and partying antics. 

In one of the most publicised examples, after accidentally snorting ketamine instead of cocaine at the Glamour Awards in 2008, Lily was photographed being carried away by security while incapacitated.

The distressing photos became front-page fodder for the tabloids.  

The mother-of-two has been open about her history of addiction, the currently sober pop singer sharing the struggles she has had with alcohol and drug abuse throughout her career.

Now, decades on since Lily Allen first broke into celebrity culture with her hit song 'Smile', the London-born star is speaking out about some of the abuse she suffered at the hands of the British press.

In particular, the 38-year-old has directed her ire at Dan Wootton, a broadcaster who has previously worked for The Sun, News Of The World, and MailOnline. Wootton's name is in the news right now as he's been accused of faking online identities, as well as offering money to individuals in return for filming themselves carrying out sex acts.

Wootton has denied these allegations, referring to the claims as "a smear campaign by nefarious players with an axe to grind", he said in a statement.

Lily retweeted an article about Wootton, with the caption, "Well well well," before posting a longer tweet addressing the broadcaster. 

"Whilst I’m able to take responsibility for my own actions, I can hand on heart say that a big part of the reason I would get myself into these states was because of the relentless bullying and constant surveillance and scrutiny this man had me under. FOR NO REASON," she wrote.

whilst i’m able to take responsibility for my own actions i can hand on heart say that a big part of the reason i would get myself into these states was because of the relentless bullying and constant surveillance and scrutiny this man had me under. FOR NO REASON. Anyway, karmas… pic.twitter.com/QakdrgibQR

— Lily Allen (@lilyallen) July 18, 2023

In another tweet, Lily replied to a critic who tried to victim-blame her.

see also, “she was drunk and wearing a short skirt and make up, what did she expect ?”

a bit of humanity, empathy perhaps? https://t.co/Yc9wRttTwx

— Lily Allen (@lilyallen) July 18, 2023

The singer has since elaborated on her experience with the journalist. 

"Following on from my tweet yesterday, I see that some think I was blaming Dan Wootton for my dependencies," she wrote, referring to her past alcohol and drug abuse.

"I don’t expect people to understand the pain associated with being harassed in the very public way that I was for a good 15 years. But just because you can’t understand it, it doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen, it did."

The singer went on to compare her harassment to the plight of Peaches Geldof, Amy Winehouse and Caroline Flack, three women hounded by the British tabloids before their tragic deaths. "[They] were all bullied and abused, subjected to the same kind of harassment that I and many others were," she continued.

"It was the culture back then, we were fair game, because we were female, young, articulate, well paid, brilliant at our jobs, vulnerable and relatable, we all wore our hearts on our sleeves and spoke our truths. And for that we needed to be destroyed."

following on from my tweet yesterday, i see that some think i was blaming Dan Wooton for my dependencies. I don’t expect people to understand the pain associated with being harassed in the very public way that i was for a good 15 years. but just because you can’t understand it,…

— Lily Allen (@lilyallen) July 19, 2023

"I can’t speak for the women above and neither can they, for obvious reasons, but I know how trapped I felt, how lonely and isolated I was, how scared I was, how unfair and desperate it all felt and how substances and alcohol felt like the only way to escape," she said.

Lily then addressed Wootton's claims he is the victim of a smear campaign. 

"The irony is not lost on me, maybe now Dan can begin to understand what it felt like," she said.

"I actually wish him well, I hope that he comes out the other side of whatever it is that he is facing, and that eventually it leads him to a place of happiness, peace and truth."

This isn't the first time the pop singer has taken aim at how she was treated by the British media during her rise to fame. In her 2018 memoir, My Thoughts Exactly, she detailed what it was like waking to find 30 photographers waiting at her front door. 

Quick! Listen to the latest episode of The Spill. Post continues after podcast.

She attributed an eating disorder she battled throughout her career to the constant negative coverage. "In my case, it was a direct result of having my body constantly scrutinised," she penned.

Lily's lyrics often offered cutting critiques about the pressure on women in the music industry. In 2009's 'The Fear', she sang, "I'm not a saint but I'm not a sinner, now everything is cool as long as I'm getting thinner."

In the past, Lily has taken a British tabloid to court and won. After a fake interview was published in French football magazine So Foot in 2009, The Sun reposted parts of the 'interview'. Lily took both publications to court and they each had to pay damages.

Over the past few years, Lily has pivoted away from music and towards acting. In 2019, she played Elizabeth Taylor in How to Build a Girl, before starring in Sharon Horgan's comedy-drama Dreamland in 2023.

In 2021, she made her West End debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story, and this year, she's starred in the play The Pillowman. 

Feature image: Getty/Dave M. Benett.