Sabrina Carpenter referenced as Barry Keoghan says online abuse has left him ‘hiding away’
sabrina carpenter was named by Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan as part of a narrative in which online abuse about his appearance has driven him to withdraw from public life. Keoghan said he left social media in 2024 and is now “hiding away, ” adding that the harassment has made him “not want to go outside. ” He told host Ben Harlum the volume and nastiness of online hate are seeping into his work and public attendance.
Keoghan: online abuse ‘becoming a problem’ — immediate reactions
Barry Keoghan, Oscar-nominated actor, delivered blunt assessments of how sustained online abuse has altered his behaviour. “There’s a lot of hate online. There’s a lot of abuse of how I look, and it’s kind of past the point of, ‘Everyone goes through that, ’” he said, and added that the pressure has “made me shy away. It’s made me really go inside myself, not want to attend places, not want to go outside. ”
Keoghan warned that when harassment “starts leaking into your art, it becomes a problem, because then you don’t want to even be on screen any more. ” He also stated plainly, “I actually don’t go to places because of these things, ” framing the withdrawal as both personal and professional. Those comments came in conversation with host Ben Harlum, who questioned the toll the abuse has taken on Keoghan’s career and daily life.
Sabrina Carpenter and the intimidation claims
Keoghan said events linked to his breakup with pop star sabrina carpenter escalated beyond online abuse: he accused people of knocking on his grandmother’s door and “sitting outside my baby boy’s house intimidating them. ” He made the claim while describing how the harassment has affected his family and his three-year-old son, Brando, saying it is “disappointing” to think his child may have to read such things later in life.
This episode follows Keoghan’s withdrawal from online platforms in 2024; he described both warm encounters with fans and a “nasty side” that has driven him away from public appearances. Keoghan’s remarks underscore a sharp personal cost he ties to prolonged digital harassment and to alleged offline intimidation tied to his private life.
What’s next: projects and the potential impact on Keoghan’s public life
Keoghan signalled that a retreat from acting would be disappointing to fans but framed his priority around family and personal well‑being. He is currently appearing in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man and has been filming his part in Sam Mendes’ The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event, where colleagues named in his projects include Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal and Joseph Quinn as fellow leads. He is also set to star in Kantemir Balagov’s Butterfly Jam with Riley Keough and Harry Melling.
Given his own warning that harassment is “becoming a problem, ” the immediate developments to watch are Keoghan’s attendance at public events tied to those releases and whether he continues to step back from publicity. The allegations of intimidation connected to his breakup with sabrina carpenter further complicate how the actor and his representatives choose to manage appearances and promotion moving forward.
