Actor Barry Keoghan denounces the hate he has received on social media for his physique: "I have shut myself away and I don't want to go out on the street"
Despite having withdrawn from social networks, the actor fears that the harassment may affect his career
Actor Barry Keoghan, known for films like Saltburn or the more recent Peaky Blinders: The King, has denounced the harassment he has suffered on social media, which has focused mainly on criticizing his physical appearance. In an interview with the American magazine Entertainment Weekly, he detailed that this hate campaign has altered his life and his way of behaving."It has made me withdraw into myself, not want to go anywhere, not want to go out," he says.
Keoghan partially withdrew from social media in 2024. Due to his achievements as an actor in recent years, and the access to the media sphere that this entails, it has been very difficult to remain oblivious to the digital environment. "I'm still a curious human being who wants to go on the internet. And if I attend an event or go somewhere, I want to see how it's received. And it's not pleasant," comments the actor, who fears that withdrawing from the public sphere may affect his professional career. The Irishman assures that this is one of the worst consequences of becoming a target of hate on social media. "When it starts to seep into your art, it becomes a problem, because then you don't even want to appear on screen anymore." The actor explains that he has lost his privacy and the motivation to enjoy his free time outside the home.
The protagonist of The Banshees of Inisherin has also reflected on the impact this situation has on his son Brando, born in August 2022 from his relationship with Alyson Sandro. In this regard, he said he is particularly concerned that when the child grows up he will have to read offensive things about his father. "It's really disappointing," he assured.
In addition to his professional career, the Irish actor has also generated media attention for the romantic relationship he had with singer Sabrina Carpenter. The couple were together from late 2023 to late 2024, a period when they were quite hounded by the media. In fact, Keoghan deactivated his social media accounts just as rumors circulated that he had broken up with Carpenter. "I deactivated my account because I can no longer allow these things to distract me from my family and my work," he wrote at the time about the reasons for his withdrawal from social media. "The messages I have received no one should ever read. Absolute lies, hate, disgusting comments about my appearance, my character, how I am as a father, and any other inhumane thing you can imagine. Tearing down my character and everything I have worked very hard for and everything I stand for," he concluded.
Keoghan is in the news for the premiere last Friday of Peaky Blinders: The King , on Netflix, a film continuation of the series starring Cillian Murphy. The Irish actor is now immersed in a major cinematic project: the tetralogy of films that Sam Mendes is preparing about The Beatles, four movies in which Keoghan will play Ringo Starr.