With her latest album, No Shame, and book, My Thoughts Exactly, released this year, Lily Allen is opening up about how her challenging past has impacted the person she is today.
In My Thoughts Exactly, the star addresses many of the struggles she's faced over the years, from a stillborn birth and divorce to substance abuse problems.
"I do feel very much like I'm entering a new chapter in my life, but it's been quite difficult to sort of square that all to go into that chapter without kind of like putting some stuff to bed," she told E! News' Melanie Bromley. "In England, I'm really, you know, featured quite heavily in the tabloid newspapers and people have got an opinion of me, and it is not necessarily accurate. It doesn't seem to match up with the person I am in my head."
She continued, "In order to move into this new period of my life, I needed to just like let everyone know what's up."
In the book, Lily opens up about drug and alcohol abuse, which have caused untimely deaths for fellow stars. When asked about whether she had ever reflected on how her life could have taken a more tragic turn, the musician explained that a legal dispute with a publication made her face some of what had been written about her.
"It was like, wow, they were so horrible to me, and [I] was like a child...like how did [I] survive that, you know? It was extreme bullying on a national scale," Lily commented.
One of the more recent issues the "Smile" songstress addressed was the alleged sexual assault she faced from a record industry executive whose name has not been revealed. "I do name him to my friends and family," she responded. "I don't know if I'm allowed to [name him publicly]. When I wrote the book, his name was in it."
While she does like to think that her coming forward about her experience will help other women in the industry, the British pop singer noted, "I guess the fact that I can't name him here in this conversation is indicative of the fact that we are oppressed in some way. I can't talk about my experiences without thinking that I might get sued. It's a pretty crazy world to live in."
After all she's experienced, including the heartbreaking stillborn birth of her son, George, the Brit Awards Female Artist winner encouraged others to speak up about their feelings no matter how insignificant they may seem.
"I hit rock bottom because I didn't talk to people about what I was going through. I dealt with things very much in my own brain," she recalled. "As soon as you get [your feelings] out and you talk about them, then you can get some feedback and move on."
Today, the singer describes herself as a normal mom to two daughters, Ethel Mary Cooper, 6, and Marnie Rose Cooper, 5. "Me and my ex [Sam Cooper] split the custody 50/50 and everything is fine between us. We're great friends and still talk pretty much every day," she told Bromley.
"Life's good. I can't complain," Allen added. "I'm at a good place."
Watch the videos above to hear more about Lily's personal take on her past and present, including what she's working on at the moment and how she balances music with motherhood.
Allen's new book, My Thoughts Exactly, is available in the UK and online now and will be released in the United States in December. She is currently on tour and her latest album, No Shame, is out now.