Lily Allen dedicates performance of 'F**k You' to Liam Neeson amid racism row

'Normally, I dedicate this song to Donald Trump'

Lily Allen has dedicated a performance of her track “Fuck You” to Liam Neeson, following the actor’s controversial comments in an interview with The Independent.

Neeson has received widespread criticism for revealing he once roamed the streets with a cosh, wanting to kill a “black bastard” after someone close to him was raped years ago.

:: Read the original, exclusive interview that started a global conversation

Allen was performing in Sydney, Australia on her No Shame Tour when she dedicated the track to the Hollywood actor.

“Normally, I dedicate this song to Donald Trump,” she told the audience, “but tonight I’m dedicating it to Liam Neeson.”

The song includes the lyrics: “You’re just some racist who can’t tie my laces / Your point of view is medieval.”

Writing on Instagram after the show, Allen addressed Neeson on Instagram, writing: “I don’t believe Liam Neeson’s racist anecdote, which makes it even more disgusting.

“I don’t know a woman who hasn’t been harassed and I have NEVER heard of an instance where a man has actually gone out to defend her honour. It just doesn’t happen.”

Neeson has since spoken about the interview, insisting he is not a racist and claiming he would have reacted in the same way if his friend’s attacker had been “a Scot or a Brit or a Lithuanian”.

“We all pretend we’re all politically correct,” he continued. “In this country, and same in my own, sometimes you scratch the surface and discover this racism and bigotry, and it’s there.”

Neeson said he was thankful that “no violence occurred” and called the experience ”a learning curve”.

The online reaction to the response was mixed, with many Twitter users concluding Neeson had made things “worse for himself” while others thought the actor came off well.

Read the full interview on The Independent here.