Barry Keoghan is finally addressing the cheating rumors surrounding his relationship with Sabrina Carpenter. Just months after their split was confirmed in December 2024, the Saltburn actor is opening up about the speculation that pushed him off the internet and out of the public eye.
© Dave Benett/VF24Carpenter and Keoghan quickly became a celebrity power couple after going public. He starred in her music video, they walked the Met Gala together, and their relationship seemed to be moving fast. But things shifted when rumors began circulating online that he had been unfaithful with influencer Breckie Hill. Once news of their breakup surfaced, public opinion turned quickly, and Keoghan became enemy #1.
Speaking on Benny Blanco's Friends Keep Secrets, released April 28, Keoghan admitted that even today, he still sees the online backlash. While he deleted his social media accounts, at times, he checks with his brother’s account and comes across harsh comments, many of them targeting his appearance.
He's still working, with 7 upcoming projects on IMDb, but he's been admittedly "avoiding stuff." “I feel in a safe space to say this, but I have been avoiding stuff... I came off Instagram and social profiles. I’ve stopped going to events. I’ve stopped socializing,” he shared.
© GettyHe never confirmed or denied the cheating rumors, which he now says contributed to the situation. “It’s because there’s a narrative out there that was never really even spoken on, a narrative that’s not true, and I never confirmed or said anything about it,” Keoghan said. “You know, I just disappeared.”
According to Keoghan, the speculation stemmed from a video posted by a woman claiming she had been with him, something she later walked back. But by then, the damage had already been done. “Unfortunately, having a relationship in the public eye, it gets put out there, and it’s amplified,” he said.
Keoghan chose not to respond publicly at the time out of caution. “It’s a hard one, because I never want to speak on behalf of other people,” he explained. “And even if it is those people that I was in a relationship with, it’s not my place, and it’s not their place to come forward and speak on my behalf.”
© The Grosby GroupLooking back, what frustrated him most wasn’t just the rumor itself, but how quickly it spread and how little of the full story people seemed to care about. When he left X in December 2024, he “I can only sit and take so much.” The backlash, he says, went beyond gossip and became deeply personal. “I’ve had absolutely disgusting, vile things said about me,” he shared. “Attacking my character, even my family.” The Hurry Up Tomorrow star shares a son, Brando, with ex Alyson Kierans.
For Keoghan, that level of scrutiny hits differently. His story didn’t start in the spotlight, and he has spoken openly about a childhood shaped by instability, addiction, and loss.
On the podcast, he reflected on his mother’s struggle with heroin before she died at 32, the same age he reached when he decided to get sober himself. “I’ve had to fight with that every day,” he said. “Do a lot of therapy. I went through addiction myself, and I’m in sobriety.”
That context makes the weight of public judgment harder to ignore. “To then want to drag that person down…” he said, trailing off. “I’m not asking people to become my fan or like me,” he added. “I’m asking for people to stop assuming, and stop jumping on this narrative and attacking me.”
Keoghan's next film is Butterfly Jam, set to release in May. S
