Barry Keoghan has finally addressed rumors surrounding his breakup with Sabrina Carpenter, firmly denying any infidelity. The 33-year-old actor appeared on Benny Blanco and Lil Dicky's podcast Friends Keep Secrets on Tuesday, where he spoke openly about the end of his relationship with the 26-year-old pop star.
Keoghan Speaks Out
“I feel in a safe space to say this, but I have been avoiding stuff,” Keoghan told the hosts. “I came off Instagram and social profiles. I’ve stopped going to events. I’ve stopped just socializing.”
The Irish actor explained that he left the internet due to relentless bullying on social media following his split from Carpenter in December 2024. “It’s because there was a narrative out there that was never really sort of even spoken on—a narrative that’s not true—and I never confirmed or said anything about it. And I just disappeared,” he added.
When Lil Dicky (David Burd) asked which rumor he was referring to, Keoghan confirmed it was the speculation that he had cheated on Carpenter. “I’m not asking for people to become my fan and like me because that’s not normal,” he continued. “I’m asking for people to stop assuming and also stop jumping on this narrative and attacking me and dragging me down in any way you can. I’m not saying this for pity. Why is it cool to hop on and beat someone up?”
The Independent has contacted a representative for Carpenter for comment.
Background of the Breakup
Keoghan and Carpenter had been dating for nearly a year and were often seen together at public events, with Keoghan even appearing in Carpenter's music video for “Please Please Please.” However, in December 2024, they announced their breakup. An insider told People at the time, “They are both young and career-focused, so they've decided to take a break.”
The news sparked a frenzy among fans on social media, with many speculating that Keoghan had been unfaithful, though no evidence of infidelity emerged. The rumors became so intense that Keoghan, who shares a three-year-old son with ex-girlfriend Alyson Sandro, issued a statement condemning the online hatred after deleting his Instagram account. He wrote on X: “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 deactivated my account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work.”
Last month, the actor also revealed that online abuse about his appearance has made him reluctant to go out in public, as he prepares to star as Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes’s four-film Beatles biopic set for 2028.
