Lily Allen reveals how shopping and designer purchases replaced substance abuse as a coping mechanism in her recovery journey.
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Lily Allen has spoken candidly about how her relationship with addiction didn’t end with sobriety, it simply changed shape. The singer and actor revealed that after years of struggling with drugs and alcohol, she now finds herself battling a dependence on material possessions.
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Speaking in a recent interview with Elle, the 40-year-old described shopping as a new way of escaping herself, admitting that she often turns to spending when discomfort sets in.
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Allen explained that addiction, for her, has always been rooted in avoidance rather than excess alone. “It’s a need to escape myself,” she said, adding that substances once dulled that feeling, and now shopping plays a similar role.
“And alcohol and drugs numb you to that. So does sex, food, spending money, conflict,” she said. “If I have an addiction, it’s to material things.”
The singer also reflected on her complicated relationship with wealth, admitting she doesn’t always feel deserving of the money she earns. That discomfort, she said, pushes her to spend rather than save.
“I don’t believe that I am worthy of the things that I have in the world or the money that I make,” Allen shared. “So part of me tries to get rid of it.”
Designer purchases, she added, offer an oddly satisfying solution, one that feeds both impulse and guilt at the same time.
Among her recent splurges is a Porsche 911 Carrera, alongside a painting and an emerald ring. While the purchase made her feel “a bit silly,” Allen admitted she has always wanted the car and doesn’t enjoy feeling too comfortable
“There’s something about the idea of running out of money that drives me,” she said, acknowledging that the thrill of financial risk gives her a sense of momentum, even if it isn’t healthy.
When asked whether she feels happier living on the edge, Allen answered honestly. “Yes, but that’s not healthy,” she said, adding that feeling whole and secure would mean believing she deserves stability, something she’s still working towards.
“If I felt like a complete, whole, full person, I’d think I was worthy of a nice house, paying off my mortgage, and doing the weekly shop,” she explained.
Despite her conflicted feelings, Allen admits she loves beautiful things and has built up a significant fashion collection over the years. She hopes to one day pass those pieces on to her daughters, Ethel, 14, and Marnie, 13.
The revelation comes shortly after Allen shared that she narrowly avoided a serious accident last month when a lorry forced her new Porsche off the road, a moment that served as a sharp reminder of how quickly things can change.
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