Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan has said that online abuse about his appearance has become so severe that he now does not want to go outside and is considering retreating from acting. The Irish star, known for his roles in 'The Banshees of Inisherin' and the upcoming Beatles tetralogy, spoke candidly about the toll social media harassment has taken on his mental health.
In an interview with SiriusXM host Ben Harlum, Keoghan admitted that despite leaving social media in 2024, the hate continues to affect him deeply. '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. 'It's made me shy away. It's made me really go inside myself, not want to attend places, not want to go outside.'
The actor, who is set to play Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes' four-film Beatles project, explained that the negativity is now seeping into his professional life. 'When that starts leaking into your art, it becomes a problem, because then you don't want to even be on screen any more,' he added. Keoghan acknowledged that a retreat from acting would disappoint fans but stressed the need to protect himself and his young son.
Keoghan, who has spoken openly about his difficult upbringing in foster care and his mother's death related to drug addiction, has previously faced targeted harassment. In 2024, he accused individuals of intimidating his family following his breakup with pop star Sabrina Carpenter, including knocking on his grandmother's door and sitting outside his baby son's house.
The actor's latest role is in Netflix's 'Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man'. He is currently filming alongside Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, and Joseph Quinn for the Beatles film series, but his future in acting remains uncertain as he grapples with the impact of online abuse.
