Barry Keoghan Speaks Out Against Harassment After Deactivating Instagram: ‘I Can Only Sit & Take So Much’

Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan has released a statement addressing harassment and personal attacks he and his family have faced, prompting him to deactivate his Instagram account.

The Saltburn star posted the statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, a day after he left Instagram amid reports of his split from singer Sabrina Carpenter.

“I can only sit and take so much,” Keoghan began, explaining his decision to respond to the increasing hostility online. “My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don’t respond [to]. I have to respond now because it’s gettin’ to a place where there are too many lines being crossed.”

Keoghan shared that the online vitriol has not only affected him but has distracted him from his family and work.

“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,” he wrote. He also accused individuals of “dragging my character and everything I worked extremely hard for and stand for.”

The actor detailed alarming incidents of harassment, including claims about his upbringing and direct threats to his loved ones. “Talking about how I was a heroine baby, and how I grew up, and dragging my dear mother into it also,” he shared. Keoghan added that individuals have been “knocking on my grannie’s door” and “sitting outside my baby boy’s house, intimidating them,” which he called “crossing a line.”

As a father, Keoghan emphasized his commitment to being a positive role model for his son. “Each and every day I work harder to push myself on every level to be the healthiest and strongest person for that boy,” he wrote. “I want him to be able to look up to his daddy, to have full trust in me and know I will have his back no matter what.”

In closing, Keoghan appealed for an end to the harassment, particularly for the sake of his child. “I need you to [remember] he has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older,” he stated. “Please be respectful to all.”

Last month, Keighan blasted reports that he’s “a deadbeat dad.”

Keoghan’s statement comes during a prolific period in his career. This year, he starred in the thriller Bring Them Down and appeared in Bird and the World War II miniseries Masters of the Air. He is set to reunite with Dunkirk co-star Cillian Murphy for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie and is rumored to play Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes‘ Beatles biopic project, though this has not been confirmed.

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