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Singer Lily Allen found herself at the center of a social media storm last week after revealing she had rehomed a rescue puppy. The 39-year-old star has now spoken out to clarify the situation and condemn the death threats she received.
On her podcast "Miss Me?", Allen disclosed that she had returned an adopted dog named Mary to a New York shelter after it chewed up her family's passports. This admission sparked intense backlash online, with many accusing the singer of animal cruelty.
Animal rights organization PETA took swift action, sending Allen a mechanical toy dog with a note reading: "It really is the only animal you should bring into your home." PETA Vice President Elisa Allen added in a letter, "While you could get new passports and rebook your flights, Mary may spend many months in the shelter waiting for a new family – if she's lucky enough to find one at all."
As criticism mounted, Allen took to X (formerly Twitter) on August 25th to clarify the situation. She explained that Mary suffered from severe separation anxiety, which the family had worked hard to address with professional help. Allen stated the passport incident was "the last straw" after months of struggles.
"I'm ok, but it has been a really tough few days," Allen wrote. She accused tabloids, particularly the Mail Online, of deliberately distorting her words to provoke anger. "People have been furiously reacting to a deliberately distorted cobbling together of quotes designed to make people angry, and as a result, I've received some really abhorrent messages including death threats," she revealed.
The singer emphasized that Mary was quickly rehomed within 24 hours, not abandoned as some reports suggested. She expressed frustration that media outlets omitted key details about the family's efforts to help the dog before making the difficult decision to return her.
Allen, who is married to actor David Harbour and has two children from a previous marriage, said the controversy had deeply impacted her family. She condemned what she saw as the media's role in "sewing division" and inflaming tensions.
The incident highlights the often fraught intersection of celebrity, social media, and animal welfare issues. While many fans expressed disappointment in Allen's actions, others defended her right to make difficult choices for her family's well-being.
