‘Peaky Blinders’ Star Barry Keoghan Opens Up About Cruel Online Attacks on His Looks: “I Want My Work to Speak for Me”

Barry Keoghan is opening up about a difficult period in his life and says he is now starting a “new chapter” where he wants to focus only on his work. The Irish actor spoke about this change while promoting his new film Butterfly Jam, which is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Keoghan said he is trying to move past the negativity and focus on acting instead of online attention. He explained, “I want to step into a new chapter of my life where I let my work speak for me…” He added that he wants to leave the negativity behind, saying, “I want to close the book on it, put my head up, have a smile and enjoy the moment.”

Keoghan has faced a wave of online abuse over the past year, especially after his split from singer Sabrina Carpenter in late 2024. Following the breakup, social media was flooded with harsh comments about him. Some users mocked his appearance, calling him “ugly” or making jokes about his facial features, while others spread rumours about cheating, which he has denied.

The actor later addressed the situation more directly in an interview with SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up. He said the constant negativity online affected him deeply and changed how he moves through public life.

“There’s a lot of hate online,” he said. “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.”

He also said he has stepped away from social media because of the impact it has had on his mental health. Even when he checks reactions after premieres, he admitted the response is often still harsh.

Keoghan explained that the situation has affected his confidence and even his career mindset. “When that starts leaking into your art, it becomes a problem, because then you don’t want to even be on screen anymore.” He also shared concerns about his young son Brando seeing negative comments about him in the future.

Despite this, Keoghan is continuing to work and is returning to Cannes for the third time with Butterfly Jam, directed by Kantemir Balagov. The film follows siblings running a struggling diner and stars Keoghan alongside Riley Keough.

He is also filming The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, where he plays Ringo Starr. Speaking about his current approach to acting, he said he is now much more selective about his roles.

“I carefully, cautiously pick because I just want to enjoy, and I want to heal, I want to tell, I want to find, I want to explore,” he said. “I want to discover all of those things while I’m making a movie with people who are like-minded.”

Keoghan also briefly spoke about his role in the Peaky Blinders film, saying he enjoyed the experience but did not go into detail about why he will not return for the upcoming series continuation.

Keoghan says this new phase of his life is about stepping away from online noise and focusing fully on his work and personal growth.

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