Lily Allen says 'record label failed to act on assault'

Lily Allen says her record label has not taken any action after she told them she was sexually assaulted by an industry figure.

Allen told The Next Episode podcast she spoke to a Warner Music boss last year about the alleged attack in 2016.

A label spokesman said: "We take accusations of sexual misconduct extremely seriously and investigate claims that are raised with us."

The BBC understands the alleged attacker continues to work with Warner.

While the singer says she never reported the alleged attacker to the police, she believes "most of the music industry knows who it is".

Allen says the sexual assault took place on a work trip to the Caribbean in 2016.

She told The Next Episode she had been at a party with a record industry executive before heading back to their hotel.

"We got to my hotel. I couldn't find my room keys. So he was like, 'Well, why don't you sleep in my bed while I go and get the keys or whatever.' So I passed out in his bed.

"I woke up and he was in my bed naked slapping my bum."

She said she could feel him trying to have sex with her.

"I made a decision, I didn't want to go to the police. I didn't want to make a fuss and I wanted to keep it quiet.

"I remember thinking about his mum and how she would deal with the news that her son was a sexual predator and I was prioritising everybody else in this situation except for myself."

Allen then said it was not until women started coming forward with allegations of sexual abuse within the film industry, that she decided to share her experience. She first wrote about it in her book My Thoughts Exactly, which was published in September 2018.

It was later that year that she says she met Max Lousada, a chief executive at her record label, to discuss the alleged assault.

She says Mr Lousada told her that he had not known anything about the incident until he read the book.

Asked if Mr Lousada told her he would do anything about the allegation after talking to Allen, she replied: "No."

Allen has been signed to Warner since 2013, although she's currently working on her last album for the label.

She said she wanted to speak out about her alleged attack in order to protect other artists in the industry.

"I would feel awful if I found out that somebody much younger and more vulnerable had had a similar experience that could have been prevented," she said.

She believes her alleged abuser may be around other young female artists and said: "It's my responsibility just to let some people know that this incident happened."

Warner Music said it found Allen's allegations from 2016 "appalling" and said: "We're very focused on enforcing our Code of Conduct and providing a safe and professional environment at all times."

You can hear the full interview on the BBC Sounds podcast The Next Episode.