Showbiz Rumors Spark Backlash

Costume designer Natalie Tippett has pushed back firmly against claims that she was involved in a three-year affair with actor David Harbour, following renewed scrutiny sparked by Lily Allen’s latest album, West End Girl.

Speculation intensified after listeners connected the album’s lyrics — particularly references to a woman named “Madeline” — to Harbour, Allen’s former husband, and an alleged breach of the couple’s open marriage. Tippett, who collaborated professionally with Harbour on a 2021 film project, rejected the narrative outright, saying she never confirmed any romantic involvement and was inaccurately represented by a media outlet.

Addressing the fallout on Instagram, Tippett described feeling “extremely violated” as the rumors led to online abuse and threatening messages. She maintained that private exchanges contradict the story being implied and stressed that the version circulating publicly is untrue.

Allen, meanwhile, has framed West End Girl as a blend of reality and imagination, noting that the character “Madeline” is fictional — a point underscored by a dramatized voice message attributed to the character and reenacted by Dakota Johnson during a Saturday Night Live segment.