Barry Keoghan has publicly explained for the first time why he withdrew from social media and public life, revealing on the Apr. 28, 2026, episode of the "Friends Keep Secrets" podcast that false cheating rumors about his relationship with pop star Sabrina Carpenter drove him into seclusion.

Speaking with hosts Benny Blanco and Lil Dicky, the "Saltburn" actor, 33, said he had been deliberately avoiding the spotlight for months. "I feel in a safe space to say this, but I have been avoiding stuff," Keoghan said. "I came off Instagram and social profiles. I've stopped going to events. I've stopped just socializing."

When Lil Dicky asked him directly if the rumors were about cheating, Keoghan confirmed that it was the subject. "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," he said, according to People.

The Couple's Dating History

Keoghan and Carpenter dated for approximately a year before news of their split broke in December 2024. At the time, a source told People that the pair had "decided to take a break," citing their schedules, noting that "they are both young and career-focused." Neither Carpenter nor Keoghan publicly commented on the reasons for the breakup.

The cheating allegations first spread online in late 2024 when an anonymous blind item, posted by gossip account DeuxMoi, claimed that around the closing night of Carpenter's Los Angeles tour dates, Keoghan had been "chatting with a blonde, semi-famous LA-based influencer behind her back for months in a not-innocent-at-all way."

Social media users identified TikTok influencer Breckie Hill as the unnamed woman, partly based on Snapchat videos she had posted from a Los Angeles steakhouse on the same night.

Hill moved quickly to deny any involvement. In a TikTok video posted on December 7, 2024, the influencer said, "To put it simply for you all, no, I did not get with Barry. I have never even encountered this man in my life."

She explained that her restaurant videos had been misread — one drink she reviewed was called a "Blackberry Smash," which some online users incorrectly claimed was a Saltburn reference. Hill also noted she had posted those videos while recovering in a hospital bed after breaking her spine.

Despite Hill's denial, the online backlash against Keoghan continued. In December 2024, he deactivated his Instagram account and posted a statement on X, writing, "I can only sit and take so much, US Magazine reported.

My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don't respond to," He added that he deactivated his account because the harassment was distracting him from "my family and my work."

On the podcast, Keoghan also pushed back against the way the rumors spread and persisted. "If you see the narrative, you see the story," he said. "A girl made a video, and then a girl actually made the same video and went, 'Sorry for making that up.' But no one seemed to latch onto that video."

He appealed directly to the public, saying, "I'm not asking for people to become my fan and like me because that's not normal. I'm asking for people to stop assuming and also stop jumping on this narrative and attacking me."

In March 2026, Keoghan had also briefly addressed the fallout on SiriusXM's "The Morning Mash Up," saying there was "a lot of hate online" directed at him, including "a lot of abuse of how I look," stemming from his breakup with Carpenter. Keoghan shares a son, Brando, 3, with ex-girlfriend Alyson Sandro, as per TMZ.

Tags
Barry Keoghan, Sabrina Carpenter, Rumors, Influencer