Hollywood: Stranger Things star David Harbour is opening up about the difficult lessons he has learned across five decades — from marital challenges to professional turbulence — while emphasizing how personal struggle fuels his artistic identity.
In a new interview with Esquire Spain, published over the weekend, Harbour responded to a question about whether he would change anything in his personal or professional life. The actor, who is currently facing public scrutiny amid his divorce from singer-songwriter Lily Allen and reports of a complaint allegedly filed by co-star Millie Bobby Brown, said life’s painful chapters are part of a larger creative journey.
“I would change either everything or nothing,” Harbour said. “Even the pain and the slip-ups and the mistakes are all part of the journey.”
According to Harbour, attempting to edit one chapter of his past would unravel the entire story. He compared life events to balancing cards — remove one, and the structure collapses.
He also stressed that artists draw from lived emotional experience, passing it on to audiences for catharsis.
“If you’ve never been through anything, what do you really have to offer?” he asked. “If I made my life happy and silly, I wouldn’t be an artist anymore. And that would suck.”
Harbour added that he hopes to tell more emotionally complex stories in the years ahead, while still nurturing meaningful personal connections.
Divorce Tensions With Lily Allen
Harbour’s comments come shortly after Lily Allen publicly stated that the actor violated agreed-upon boundaries during their marriage. The pair met in 2019, married in 2020, and Allen relocated to New York with her two daughters.
The singer’s forthcoming album, West End Girl, reportedly explores the collapse of their four-year marriage, touching on themes of open relationship rules and modern dating culture.
“People are becoming disposable,” Allen said in a recent interview with The Times, noting that dating apps blur relationship boundaries.
Harbour has not responded directly to her claims.
On-Set Complaint Rumors
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail reported that Millie Bobby Brown — who plays Eleven/Jane Hopper on Stranger Things — filed a complaint containing “pages and pages” of allegations against Harbour. Sources emphasized that none of the alleged claims are sexual in nature.
Netflix, the Duffer Brothers, and representatives for both actors have not commented on the matter. The outcome of the internal review remains unclear.
A Career Built on Vulnerability
Despite the controversies, Harbour maintains that adversity has shaped him into a more empathetic performer.
His takeaway:
Growth comes from discomfort.
Art demands authenticity.
Pain — when processed — becomes storytelling fuel.
As Stranger Things prepares for its fifth and final season, Harbour’s personal narrative appears just as dramatic and emotionally charged as the show that made him a household name.