Lily Allen; Amy Winehouse.Photo:Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Dave Hogan/Getty
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Dave Hogan/Getty
Lily Allen’s mother used to worry her daughter would have meet a similar fate asAmy Winehouse.
Owen, 63, recalled thinking intense fame and attention “would destroy my daughter” and lead her down a path similar to Winehouse, whodied in 2011at age 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning.
Lily Allen in London in February 2024.Dave Benett/Getty Images
Dave Benett/Getty Images
“Lily fitted the bill because, early in her success, her role model was her dad,” said the film producer, referencing actor Keith Allen, who’s spoken about hispartying habitsin the past.
“She’d seen him idolized for swearing, taking drugs and being drunk in the Groucho Club, so in her young brain she thought that’s what you did when you became famous,” explained Owen of Lily, who’s been open about her own experiences withsubstance use. “She didn’t realize it’s only OK for men. Women get punished for it.”
At the height of Lily’s fame, her mom recalled, paparazzi “would wait for her and then say things like, ‘I see your single’s going down the charts,’ or, ‘You’ve put on weight, Lily,’ and hope to make her angry or cry.”
Lily Allen in Milan in September 2023.Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty
Lily and Winehouse both debuted in the 2000s, worked with producer Mark Ronson and found themselves nominated in the same categories at various awards shows.
Elsewhere in the interview withThe Times, Owen spoke about feeling disturbed after witnessing Winehouse and her then-partner, Blake Fielder-Civil, at a music industry party.
“Amy was as thin as a pencil,” she said. “And she and Blake were in the middle of this room dancing in a full-on sexual way. Both were clearly ‘using’ and I remember thinking, ‘This is an accident waiting to happen. This is going to be a disaster.’”
While Winehouse’s life came to an early end, Lily has now been sober for four years. She’s married to actorDavid Harbourand has taken a step back from music as she raises her daughters, 12-year-old Ethel and 10-year-old Marnie, from her first marriage to Sam Cooper.
“Lily was lucky,” added Owen. “She’s happy bringing up her children.”
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Marnie Rose, Lily Allen, Ethel and David Harbour in New York City in May 2022.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
In aninterview withThe New York Timeslast year, Lily opened up about her years of drug and alcohol use and explained how it went hand in hand with her relationship to fame and success.
“From 18 to about four or five years ago just feels like a bit of a haze, because I was literally just off my face the whole time,” recalled Lily. “I was using fame as well — that was an addiction in itself: the attention and the paparazzi and the chaos.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
