Irish actor Barry Keoghan slams online trolls « Euro Weekly News

Irish actor Barry Keoghan has slammed what he has termed “inhumane” online trolling and has accused people of harrassing his family.

The well-loved actor deactivated his Instagram account on Saturday and launched a lengthy statement on X (formerly Twitter) saying: “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. I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work.” He has openly told the public that he can “only sit and take so much.”

Keoghan, is well-known for his Oscar-nominated role in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and more recently, for the role of a perturbed psychopath in acclaimed film, “Saltburn.” He grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and lived in several foster homes and with his grandmother. His life was far from easy: his mother was a cocaine addict who died when he was only 12 years old, making the star’s emergence into the fame world even more astonishing in the face of such adversity. If this were not difficult enough, Keoghan’s father also died when he was 15 years old. He is now a father himself to a two-year-old son, Brando whom he shares with his ex – partner.

Barry Keoghan suffers lies, hatred and disgusting comments online

Keoghan has been a target of lies and hatred, which have also been aimed at his role as a father. Keoghan said: “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 added: “Talking about how I was a heroin baby and how I grew up and dragging my dear mother into it also.”

Keoghan also told media that people had been “knocking on my grannies door” and “sitting outside my baby boy’s house intimidating them. That’s crossing a line.”

Keoghan recently ended his relationship with American singer, Sabrina Carpenter and the recent surge in attacks appears to have originated there. In a well-mediated interview on “The Louis Theroux Podcast,” Keoghan spoke at length about the devastating impacts of trolling. He talked about how it was affecting his image as a father, saying: “People kind of have a judgment on me as a parent.” He added: “I’m like, well until you’ve walked a day in my shoes growing up as a kid, then you can comment… There’s a lot online. If I didn’t have tough skin or the strength I have, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Irish actor Keoghan suffered harassment for appearance on TikTok

In relation to how he brings up his child, Keoghan said: “Of course it’s going to affect me being a father when I had no blueprint to take from. The more in the public I’ve become, the less I’ve posted about my child, because I don’t think it’s fair to put my child online, there’s sick people out there.” The Irish actor repented that he had been slated as an ‘absent father’, ‘sh*t deadbeat dad’ amongst other degrading comments, which he said made him “furious.”

Aside from criticism regarding his family, Keoghan has also suffered harassment online regarding his appearance. He described how trolls would comment on his face “especially on TikTok” and just “pick (him) apart.”

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