Barry Keoghan Opens Up on Social Media Abuse and Its Impact
Irish actor Barry Keoghan, currently commanding attention for his role as Duke Shelby in the recently released Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, has candidly discussed the distressing online abuse he’s been enduring regarding his physical appearance. The star revealed in an interview with American radio station SiriusXM that these comments have escalated to a point where they are “becoming a problem.”
Keoghan, who hails from Dublin, made the decision to deactivate his Instagram account in 2024. However, he admitted to a persistent human curiosity that still leads him to check online reactions following public appearances.
“I’ve removed myself from online, but I’m still a curious human being that wants to go on,” Keoghan explained. “And if I attend an event or if I go somewhere, you want to see how it was received.”
He elaborated on the nature of this online environment, stating, “There’s a lot of hate online. There’s a lot of abuse of how I look, and it’s kind of past the point of – you know, everyone goes through that… but it’s made me shy away.”
This relentless negativity has had a profound personal impact on the actor. “It’s made me really go inside myself, not want to attend places, not want to go outside,” he confessed. “I say this being absolutely pure and honest to you. It’s becoming a problem.”
The Saltburn and Banshees of Inisherin star expressed a genuine fear that the pervasive hateful comments could begin to jeopardise his acting career. He shared that the general reception to his public outings is “not nice,” leading him to increasingly “hide away” from the glare of the spotlight.
Keoghan’s concern extends beyond his personal well-being and professional aspirations. He is acutely aware of the potential long-term effects on his young son. “When that starts leaking into your art, it becomes a problem, because then you don’t want to even be on screen anymore,” he stated. “It is disappointing for the fans, but it’s also disappointing that my little boy has to read all of this stuff when he gets older.”
A Rising Star Navigating Personal Challenges
The 33-year-old actor has previously spoken with remarkable openness about his challenging upbringing and his experiences in foster care within Dublin. Despite these early adversies, Keoghan has steadily ascended to become one of Ireland’s most prominent and internationally recognised actors in recent years.
His current workload reflects his burgeoning status in Hollywood. He is actively engaged in filming his portrayal of Ringo Starr for the upcoming series of Beatles biopics. This project also features fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal, who is set to embody the role of Paul McCartney, further highlighting the strong presence of Irish talent in major global productions.
