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Barry Keoghan has opened up about the online abuse targeting his appearance, revealing it’s severely impacting his mental health. The “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man” star admits the constant criticism has driven him to avoid public settings altogether.
“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. It’s made me really go inside myself, not want to attend places, not want to go outside,” Keoghan explained during a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up.
The actor, who was promoting his Netflix project, shared a deeply personal account of how these comments are affecting both his daily life and career.
It’s becoming a genuine concern for his work.
“I say this being absolute pure and honest to you. It’s becoming a problem… I don’t have to hide away ’cause I am hiding away,” he continued. “I actually don’t go to places because of these things. When that starts leaking into your art, it becomes a problem, because then you don’t want to even be on screen anymore.”
The online harassment intensified following Keoghan’s split from singer Sabrina Carpenter. Rumors circulated that on the closing night of Carpenter’s largest LA tour date, he was spotted with influencer Breckie Hill at San Vicente Bungalows — allegations that contributed to the wave of negative comments.
Following the backlash, Keoghan made the decision to delete his Instagram account. He described being “dragged across the internet” amid what he characterized as “absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary” about his appearance, character, and parenting abilities.
The actor’s candid admission highlights the often overlooked toll that social media criticism can take on public figures — particularly when that criticism focuses on personal attributes rather than professional work.
Keoghan’s Netflix series “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man” is currently streaming on the platform.
