Irish actor Barry Keoghan has lashed out at the online trolls attacking him with “disgusting” comments over his parenting of son Brando.
The “furious” Saltburn star opened up about the damaging impact of social media abuse during an interview on The Louis Theroux Podcast that dropped on Tuesday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Barry Keoghan breaks the internet with nude Vanity Fair shoot.
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Keoghan, 32, who has two-year-old son Brando with ex-partner Alyson Kierans, revealed how deeply hurtful the criticism was.
“People kind of have a judgement on me as a parent,” Keoghan said.
“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.”
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The former couple met in a London bar in 2021 and Kierans gave birth to son Brando in August 2022.
Keoghan, who grew up in foster care, admitted the harsh online comments about his approach to parenting hit particularly hard because he lacked a father figure growing up.
“Of course it’s going to affect me being a father when I had no blueprint to take from,” he said.
Keoghan said he had shared less of his son on social media as his fame increased, because he feared for Brando’s privacy and safety.
“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,” he explained.
The actor, also known for his Oscar-nominated role in The Banshees of Inisherin, added that this decision had led to unfair criticism online that he was an “absent father”.
“People draw a narrative and go ‘absent father’, ‘s*** deadbeat dad’ and more disgusting things that I wouldn’t even repeat.
“Just the audacity of some people, man, it sickens me and makes me furious.”
Keoghan also addressed trolls who mocked his appearance, particularly on TikTok.
“People can sit there and make videos and be like ‘I don’t like his face, he looks weird, or he looks evil’ and just pick you apart,” he said.
The Dublin-raised actor grew up in foster care as his mother struggled with heroin addiction.
She died when he was just 12, and his father passed away when he was 15.
Despite these challenges, Keoghan has always refused to let his past define him in a negative light.
“I feel it’s been publicised sort of in a pity story way,” Keoghan said.
“‘Oh, God bless him. His mum passed away … touring foster homes.’
“That’s not what I’m looking for. If anything, I speak about it to let younger kids know that no matter where you come from, you can always achieve what you put your mind to and not to give up.”
The interview also touched briefly on Keoghan’s relationship with US singer Sabrina Carpenter.
The actor, who appeared in her Please Please Please music video, remained tight-lipped about their current status but praised Carpenter.
“All I’m gonna say is, yeah, I’m incredibly blessed. Such a strong, independent lady who’s massively talented and yeah, very special,” he said.
The comment suggested the secretive couple were still together, after months of keeping their relationship as private as possible.