Barry Keoghan Says He Stopped Socialising Because Of Cheating Rumours

Barry Keoghan has finally denied the years-long rumours that he cheated on Sabrina Carpenter during their relationship, saying the speculation made him  want to “disappear”.

“I have been avoiding stuff. ... I’ve stopped going to events,” Barry said on Tuesday’s episode of the podcast Friends Keep Secrets. “I’ve stopped just socialising, and again, 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.”

The Irish actor’s admission came after the hosts of Friends Keep Secrets – Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco —complimented Barry’s overall vibe.

In response, he thanked them, saying he needed to hear that because the comments on social media have been getting him down.

“There is a lot hatred towards me for just looking like this,” he claimed.

Barry and Benny then shared their respective experiences of being torn up online over their physical appearance, with the latter saying he has tough skin, although the Saltburn actor didn’t seem to share the same feelings.

“Unfortunately, having a relationship in the public eye, it gets put out there and it’s amplified,” Barry explained, clarifying that he was talking about rumours that was that he cheated in a past relationship, seemingly referring to Sabrina.

In late 2024, influencer Breckie Hill raised eyebrows when she reposted a video that speculated she hooked up with Barry while he was dating Sabrina.

The social media star later directly denied those rumours in a video, telling followers she “did not get with” Barry.

Barry said he didn’t address the rumours at the time, because he didn’t want to put Breckie in the public eye. 

The Oscar nominee said even though he isn’t logged into his social media accounts, and hasn’t been for some time, he will sometimes snoop on burner accounts. 

Barry and Sabrina broke up in December 2024 after dating for a year. Shortly after this, Barry deleted his Instagram account, writing on X that he could “only sit and take so much”.

In August 2025, Sabrina released her Grammy-nominated album Man’s Best Friend, which included tracks many fans believe are about Barry. 

Sabrina hasn’t confirmed if any of the songs are about him, telling CBS Mornings ahead of the album release that she didn’t want to confirm or deny the speculation.

“It’s more fun for people to picture the person in their head than the person I picture in my head, I think,” she said. 

Barry said on “Friends Keep Secrets” that he doesn’t need people to become his fans, but wants the public to “stop jumping on this narrative” and “dragging” him down.

He then referenced his tough upbringing, including watching his mother deal with substance abuse. 

“Why is it cool to hop on and beat someone who has come from a lot?” Barry said. “Someone like myself or kids like myself. To survive stuff I’ve seen as a kid and stuff I’ve seen.

“My mum lay on the ground after fucking injecting herself and shit that I have to fight with every day through a lot of therapy, going through addiction myself, and sobriety and to battle all of that, to then want to drag that person down.”