Lily Allen added a new wrinkle to the Madeline mythology during her appearance on Saturday Night Live.
When Allen, 40, performed “Madeline” as her second song on SNL on Saturday, December 13, she was joined on stage by Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson. Johnson’s identity was hidden by curtains throughout most of the performance, as Allen sang about having “an arrangement” with a significant other.
“Be discreet and don’t be blatant / And there had to be payment,” Allen sang. “It had to be with strangers / But you’re not a stranger, Madeline.”
Johnson narrated Madeline’s response via a text: “I hate that you’re in so much pain right now. I really don’t wanna be the cause of any upset. He told me that you were aware this was going on and that he had your full consent. If he’s lying about that, then please let me know. Because I have my own feelings about dishonesty.”
“Lies are not something that I wanna get caught up in. You can reach out to me any time, by the way,” Johnson read. “If you need any more details or you just need to vent or anything. Love and light, Madeline.”
Johnson stepped out on stage to kiss Allen on the cheek at the conclusion of the performance.
Allen was married to Stranger Things actor David Harbour from 2020 to 2024 and subsequently chronicled their separation on her fifth studio album West End Girl, which was released in October.
“I made this record in December 2024, and it was a way for me to process what was happening in my life,” Allen told British Vogue that same month. “There are things that are on the record that I experienced within my marriage, but that’s not to say that it’s all gospel. It is inspired by what went on in the relationship [and] confusion, sorrow, grief [and] helplessness.”
There has been endless speculation about repeated references to Allen’s unnamed romantic partner having an affair with a woman named “Madeline” on West End Girl.
“So I read your text, and now I regret it / I can’t get my head round how you’ve been playing tennis,” Allen sings in the “Tennis” chorus. “If it was just sex, I wouldn’t be jealous / You won’t play with me and who’s Madeline?”
On the track “Madeline,” Allen writes about confronting the other woman: “I know none of this is your fault / Messaging you feels kind of assaultive / Saw your text, that’s how I found out / Tell me the truth and his motives.”
Allen told London’s The Times that Madeline is “a fictional character,” or, more accurately, a construct of multiple people.
“I just feel we are living in really interesting times — in terms of how we define intimacy and monogamy, people being disposable or not,” she explained. “The way we are being intimate with each other is changing as humans. Lots of young women are not finding the idea of marriage or even a long-term relationship that attractive any more.”
Allen continued, “I don’t know [that] it’s necessarily bad. Lots of people from my parents’ generation stayed together forever and were miserable. You didn’t have endless choice so you may have worked at something harder. But now you don’t have to.”
Harbour, 50, has yet to comment on his separation from Allen, aside from making a brief statement to GQ in April.
“I’m protective of the people and the reality of my life,” he said. “There’s no use in that form of engaging [with rumors] because it’s all based on hysterical hyperbole.”
While not addressing his separation directly, Harbour later told Esquire UK that he was hopeful of finding “love” again.
“There’s personal stuff that I want to do, and people that I want to love, and be good to and nurture, things like that,” he said in November.
Allen’s appearance on Saturday Night Live this week was her return to the show after an 18-year gap. She previously performed on the sketch comedy show in February 2007.
Saturday Night Live airs its holiday show December 20 on NBC at 11:30 p.m ET with host Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher.
