Barry Keoghan says the cheating rumors tied to his split from Sabrina Carpenter pushed him off social media and away from public life.
The ‘Saltburn’ actor opened up on Benny Blanco’s ‘Friends Keep Secrets,’ released April 28, saying the online backlash got so bad that he deleted his social media accounts, stopped attending events and pulled back from socializing.
Keoghan and Carpenter became one of pop culture’s most watched young couples after going public. He appeared in her music video, they attended the Met Gala together and fans quickly turned them into a favorite celebrity pairing.
Then came the split in December 2024. Soon after, rumors spread online claiming Keoghan had cheated with influencer Breckie Hill. Keoghan has now said the narrative was not true, though he still has not gone into full detail.
“It’s because there’s a narrative out there that was never really even spoken on, a narrative that’s not true, and I never confirmed or said anything about it,” he said. “You know, I just disappeared.”
Keoghan Says He Pulled Away From Public Life
Keoghan said the fallout changed how he moved through the world.
“I feel in a safe space to say this, but I have been avoiding stuff,” he said. “I came off Instagram and social profiles. I’ve stopped going to events. I’ve stopped socializing.”
He admitted that even though he deleted his own accounts, he sometimes checks social media through his brother’s account. What he finds is not easy to take.
According to Keoghan, people still make harsh comments about his appearance and character.
“I’ve had absolutely disgusting, vile things said about me,” he said. “Attacking my character, even my family.”
The actor, who shares son Brando with ex Alyson Kierans, said the backlash became more than gossip. It became personal.
He Says The Rumor Spread Before Anyone Had The Full Story
Keoghan said the speculation began after a woman posted a video suggesting she had been involved with him. She later walked it back, but the rumor had already spread.
“Unfortunately, having a relationship in the public eye, it gets put out there, and it’s amplified,” he said.
Keoghan said he did not respond at the time because he did not want to speak for anyone else.
“It’s a hard one, because I never want to speak on behalf of other people,” he explained. “And even if it is those people that I was in a relationship with, it’s not my place, and it’s not their place to come forward and speak on my behalf.”
His Past Made The Backlash Hit Harder
Keoghan also spoke about his personal history, including his mother’s heroin addiction and her death at 32. He said reaching that same age carried weight for him, especially as he worked on sobriety.
“I’ve had to fight with that every day,” he said. “Do a lot of therapy. I went through addiction myself, and I’m in sobriety.”
For Keoghan, the message is not that people must like him. He just wants the assumptions to stop.
“I’m not asking people to become my fan or like me,” he said. “I’m asking for people to stop assuming, and stop jumping on this narrative and attacking me.”
