Barry Keoghan has deactivated his Instagram account amid the “disgusting” behavior of people who allegedly have harassed him and his family.
The Oscar-nominated “Banshees of Inisherin” actor, 32, said in a statement on X that in recent days, his “name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don’t respond to,” and he has been forced to speak out because there are “too many lines being crossed.”
The statement comes after reports from People and Us Weekly that Keoghan and pop star Sabrina Carpenter have broken up after about a year together.
Without mentioning the reports, Keoghan wrote, “The messages I have received no person should ever have to read them. Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine.”
The “Saltburn” star wrote that people have been “knocking on my grannies door” and “sitting outside my baby boys house intimidating them.”
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He also said people are “dragging” his mother into the situation by “talking about how I was a (heroin) baby.” Keoghan’s mother died from a heroin overdose when he was 12.
Keoghan and his former partner Alyson Kierans share 2-year-old son Brando. He said in his statement that he pushes himself to “be the healthiest and strongest person” for Brando and reminded fans, “He has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older.”
“Please be respectful to all,” he concluded.
‘It sickens me’:Barry Keoghan says he’s ‘not an absent father’ after parenting criticism
Neither Keoghan nor Carpenter has confirmed reports of their breakup.
The actor previously condemned online claims about his relationship with his son on “The Louis Theroux Podcast” in November.
“People love to use my son as ammunition or whatever,” he said. “The more attention I’ve got lately and the more in the public I’ve become, the less I’ve posted about my child because I don’t think it’s fair to put my child online.”
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“Because I reined that in, people draw a narrative and go ‘absent father … deadbeat dad,’ and more disgusting things I wouldn’t even repeat. Just the audacity of some people, man. It sickens me, makes me furious.”
He also shared on the podcast that his mother was “unable to look after us,” and his “father wasn’t there” growing up, so he was placed in 14 foster homes.
“Of course, (that’s) going to affect me being a father when I had no blueprint to take from. People just read that (as) laziness and go, ‘Oh, that’s no excuse to be an absent father.’ I’m not an absent father.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra
