Barry Keoghan has deactivated his Instagram account in response to the intense harassment he and his family have faced following reports of his break-up with pop star Sabrina Carpenter .
The Oscar-nominated actor expressed his frustration, accusing online trolls of crossing boundaries and affecting his loved ones.
In a heartfelt statement posted on X, the Saltburn star shared: “I can only sit and take so much. My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don’t respond to. I have to respond now because it’s getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed. I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work.”
Keoghan, who has a two-year-old son with a former partner, revealed that the harassment included hateful messages filled with “absolute lies, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent, and every other inhumane thing you can imagine.” He also mentioned how some trolls had cruelly referenced his difficult childhood and personal struggles, including the death of his mother due to drug addiction.
The actor’s message made it clear that the harassment was not only directed at him but extended to his family, including his son and grandmother. Keoghan described how people had “knocked on my grannies door” and intimidated his family by “sitting outside my baby boy’s house.” He condemned these actions, stating, “That’s crossing a line.”
This isn’t the first time Keoghan has spoken out about online abuse. In a November interview on Louis Theroux’s podcast, Keoghan opened up about how his son had become a target for online criticism, stating that the more attention he received, the more his child was used as “ammunition.” The actor explained that this had led him to limit his son’s presence on social media, as he didn’t want to expose him to public scrutiny. He added that people had falsely labeled him a “deadbeat dad” for not posting more about his child online.
Keoghan expressed his deep commitment to his family, especially his son. “Each and every day I work harder to push myself on every level to be the healthiest and strongest person for that boy,” he wrote. “I want to provide opportunities for him to learn, fail, and grow. I want him to be able to look up to his daddy, to have full trust in me and know I will have his back no matter what.”
Concluding his statement, Keoghan urged people to be respectful of his family and reminded them that his son would one day read all of these comments. “Please be respectful to all. Thank you x.”
Keoghan and Carpenter, who had been in a relationship for nearly a year, were reported to have recently broken up. Keoghan appeared in Carpenter’s music video for Please Please Please before the split became public last week.
