Irish actor Barry Keoghan, amidst a whirlwind of rumors suggesting his breakup with American pop star Sabrina Carpenter, took the drastic step of deactivating his Instagram account following an inundation of messages deemed "unbearable for any soul to endure." The 32-year-old, renowned for his role in Saltburn, issued a poignant plea for respect on platform X, revealing his departure from the social media sphere due to its capacity to "divert my focus from my loved ones and my craft."
In his heartfelt message, Keoghan penned, "My name has been smeared across the digital realm in ways that typically I would overlook. Yet, now, I must intervene as the boundaries have been severely breached." He lambasted the "absolute fabrications, venomous hatred, and deplorable remarks about my physical appearance, personality, parenting abilities, and every conceivable form of inhumanity imaginable." He lamented, "These accusations tarnish my reputation and all I've diligently striven for and uphold."
The actor emphasized that the comments had crossed an unforgiveable threshold by dragging his dear mother into the fray and recounted instances where his grandmother's tranquility was disturbed and individuals loitered outside his toddler son's residence, intimidating the young family. Keoghan, who shares a two-year-old son named Brando with a former partner, has been vocal about his tumultuous upbringing in foster care following his mother's fatal drug overdose.
In his statement, he vowed, "I push myself to the brink every day to be the healthiest and strongest role model for my boy. I aspire to equip him with opportunities to learn, make mistakes, and grow. I want him to admire his father, trust me implicitly, and know that I will always stand by him, rain or shine." He pleaded, "Remember, he will one day read about his father's plight. Please, let's all treat each other with respect."
Earlier this month, during an interview on the Louis Theroux Podcast, Keoghan confessed to encountering "utterly repulsive" online comments about his appearance. He also shared that his son had been unfairly used as a weapon against him. "If I hadn't cultivated a thick skin, I wouldn't be here today. My childhood, devoid of a parental role model, undoubtedly shapes my parenting. Yet, people misconstrue it as laziness and accuse me of being an absent father. I'm anything but that," he clarified, adding, "Sadly, people delight in using my son as a scapegoat."
In 2023, Keoghan's prowess was recognized with a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal in the dark comedy 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' which also garnered him an Oscar nomination. His impressive film resume includes roles like Martin in 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' and Dympna in 'Calm with Horses.'
