Barry Keoghan has announced he’s stepping back from Instagram as the result of online abuse.
Last month, the Oscar nominee spoke candidly about the “absolutely disgusting” things that are said about him online, specifically calling out those who comment on his appearance and skills as a father.
“I can only sit and take so much,” Barry wrote on X over the weekend. “My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don’t respond too. I have to respond now because it’s getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed.”
He explained: “I deactivated my [Instagram] account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work.
“The messages I have received no person should ever have to read [...] absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine.
“Dragging my character and everything I worked extremely hard for and stand for. Talking about how I was a ‘heroin baby’ and how I grew up, and dragging my dear mother into it, also knocking on my granny’s door, sitting outside my baby boy’s house, intimidating them. That’s crossing a line.”
Barry has spoken openly in the past about how his mother – who died when he was 12 years old – struggled with substance abuse issues throughout his childhood.
He added: “Each and every day I work harder to push myself on every level to be the healthiest and strongest person for that boy.
“I want to provide opportunities for him to learn, fail and grow. 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. I need you to remember he has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older.”
Barry’s statement came just days after it was reported that he and pop singer Sabrina Carpenter had parted ways after around a year of dating.
Neither Barry nor Sabrina has commented publicly on the speculation.
The Saltburn star welcomed a son, Brando, with orthodontic therapist Alyson Kierans in 2022.