What Is "Madeline" by Lily Allen About? And…Who's Madeline?

Plus, more on Lily Allen's juicy Madeline Halloween costume 👀

Co-authored by Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked

Song Meaning

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Who is the real "Madeline"?

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Lily Allen's Madeline Halloween Costume

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If you're like us, you've had Lily Allen's album West End Girl on repeat since it came out, but you might be wondering about the meaning behind some of the more talked-about songs, including "Madeline." Keep reading for a quick look behind the lore surrounding this song, as well as the true identity of "Madeline." And don't worry, we'll also talk about the Madeline costume Lily Allen rocked for Halloween this year, so stick around!

"Madeline" Song Meaning

Lily Allen's song "Madeline" is about confronting her husband's (actor David Harbour) mistress about the nature of their relationship. "Madeline" is a pseudonym for Harbour's real-life mistress, a costume designer named Natalie Tippett. The lyrics are a back-and-forth exchange between Allen and the mistress.

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What is "Madeline" about?

"Madeline" is about a woman confronting her husband's mistress. In the vein of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," Lily Allen wrote "Madeline" about reaching out to her husband's mistress in an attempt to better understand the nature of their relationship. "Madeline" appears on West End Girl immediately following "Tennis," a song in which Allen discovers texts on her husband (Harbour's) phone from a woman named Madeline and realizes her husband might be cheating on her.
- Allen and Harbour were in an open relationship, but the song "Madeline" details some of the rules of the relationship and how Harbour apparently broke them:
  - "We had an arrangement: / Be discreet and don't be blatant. / There had to be payment. / It had to be with strangers. / But you're not a stranger, Madeline."
- Want more David Harbour-Lily Allen lore? Check out "Did David Harbour Cheat on Lily Allen?" as well as our full breakdown of West End Girl, including brief analyses of each of the songs on the album.

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Who is the real "Madeline"?

The real-life "Madeline" is costume designer Natalie Tippett. Lily Allen uses the name "Madeline" as a pseudonym for David Harbour's real-life mistress, Natalie Tippett, a costume designer he met while they were both working on the Netflix movie We Have a Ghost in 2021. Allen likely used a pseudonym for legal reasons, but Tippett came forward after the album went viral and revealed her true identity in an interview with the Daily Mail, although she clearly didn't intend to get caught up in any drama between Allen and Harbour.
- "I have a family and things to protect," Tippett says in the interview. "I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and I understand this is going on…. It’s a little bit scary for me."^{[1]
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Lily Allen's Madeline Halloween Costume

Lily Allen rocked a Madeline costume to poke cheeky fun at her husband's mistress. That is, Madeline from the Ludwig Bemelmans children's book—not THE Madeline from West End Girl. Allen posted footage on Instagram of herself decked out in a blue frock coat for Halloween on November 1, 2025, orange bob wig, and straw hat, like the iconic fictional character wears, in a playful nod to the rumors about her marriage.^{[2]
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- In the same Instagram carousel, Allen included a photo that offered a glimpse beneath her Halloween costume, which involved a lacy white corset (a look surely designed to make Harbour regret some of his life choices).