Irish actor Barry Keoghan has opened up about the devastating impact of online abuse targeting his appearance, revealing it has made him reluctant to leave his home and attend public events. The 33-year-old star, known for roles in Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin, confessed that persistent negative comments have caused him to withdraw socially and even reconsider his career in acting.
A Withdrawal from Public Life
In a candid interview with SiriusXM host Ben Harlum, Keoghan admitted that the abuse has pushed him to retreat inside myself and avoid going outside. There's a lot of abuse of how I look, and it's kind of past the point of 'everyone goes through that', he explained. It's made me shy away. It's made me go inside myself and not want to attend places. Not want to go outside.
Despite attempting to distance himself from online platforms, Keoghan acknowledged his natural curiosity as a human being. If I attend an event or if I go somewhere, you want to see how it was received, he said. It's not nice, you know, there's a lot of hate online.
Impact on Artistic Expression
The actor highlighted how this situation is becoming a problem as it begins to affect his professional work. I don't have to hide away because I am hiding away, Keoghan stated. I don't have to go to places because I actually don't go to places because of these things. But when that starts leaking into your art, it becomes a problem because then you don't even want to be on screen anymore.
Concern for His Young Son
Keoghan expressed particular worry about how this online vitriol might affect his three-year-old son, Brando, whom he shares with ex-partner Alyson Sandro. It's disappointing to the fans, but it's also disappointing that my little boy has to read all of this stuff when he gets older, he added, emphasizing the long-term consequences of digital harassment.
Previous Responses to Online Hate
This is not the first time Keoghan has addressed online abuse. In December 2024, following criticism about his split from singer Sabrina Carpenter, he posted on X urging people to be respectful. I can only sit and take so much, he wrote at the time. My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don't respond too. I have to respond now because it's getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed.
He revealed he had deactivated his account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work. Keoghan described receiving messages containing absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine.
Current Projects and Future Roles
Despite these challenges, Keoghan remains active in his career. He currently appears in Netflix's newly released Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man, portraying Erasmus Duke Shelby, the son of Tommy Shelby played by Cillian Murphy. Additionally, he has been filming his role as Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes' ambitious project The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
In this highly anticipated biopic, Keoghan stars alongside Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. The actor's revelations about his personal struggles with online abuse highlight the often overlooked human cost of digital harassment faced by public figures, even as they continue to pursue demanding professional commitments.
