Major rising Hollywood star covers her face in public after cruel taunts
Barry Keoghan has been pushed to hide his face on public rides, sources have said RadarOnline.comwhile relentless online abuse over his appearance continues to shadow the Irish actor despite his meteoric rise in Hollywood.
Keoghan, 33, gained worldwide fame after his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin And Salt burn and is currently filming a series of biopics of The Beatles, directed by Sam Mendes, in which he plays Ringo Starr.
The Dublin-born actor, who previously had a high-profile relationship with Sabrina Carpenter, has been under constant scrutiny online since they split in 2024.
Rumors of infidelity – which Carpenter himself has dismissed – have fueled a wave of commentary that Keoghan recently admitted has taken a personal toll.
A source also told us: “Barry has been deeply affected by the constant barrage of criticism about his appearance – it’s not just casual trolling, it’s persistent and often cruel.
“Sometimes he feels exposed in public spaces, which is why he is inclined to completely cover his face with a balaclava, even during something as simple as running. For him, it’s about creating a barrier between himself and the judgment that awaits him outside.”
The insider added: “It shows how intense things have become. This is someone at the height of his career, but he’s dealing with a level of personal scrutiny that is incredibly difficult to get away from. The balaclava isn’t about attention – it’s about protection, a way to regain a sense of anonymity, even temporarily.”
Keoghan himself did that acknowledged his withdrawal from public life in response to the backlash over his divorce from Carpenter.
“I’ve been avoiding things. I’ve stopped socializing,” he explained. “And again, it’s because there was a story that wasn’t true. I never confirmed or said anything about it, and you know, I just disappeared.”
He continued: “It’s because I cheated. I never want to involve anyone else in it, but unfortunately because we have a relationship in the public eye, we all know this, it’s brought out and it’s amplified.”
Regarding the origin of the rumors, Keoghan said: “A girl made a video, and then the girl actually made (another) video and said, ‘Sorry I made that up,’ but no one seemed to latch onto that video.”
The speculation surrounding Keoghan’s alleged affair was amplified by social media accounts and gossip platforms, including claims that he was seen with another woman during his relationship with Carpenter.
Influencer Breckie Hill, who was mentioned in some reports, denied ever meeting him.
Despite leaving social media, Keoghan admits he is still drawn to online commentary.
He said, “I’m not on Instagram or Twitter or anything like that, but I still go through and have a little bit of… (look.) I go to my brother’s account. That way I can access it. I’ll check it out because I’m curious, but there’s a lot of hate towards me just because I look like that. It’s just crazy. There are videos on TikTok that literally say, ‘I hate him.'”
The actor also reflected on the broader personal challenges he has faced, including addiction and recovery.
He said, “I’m clean now. But my mother died at 32 from heroin, and my father died. But the curiosity of still wanting to do this, for me, was absolutely… it took me three attempts at rehab, and it ended up being Malibu, The Pointe, where there was a sudden switch, and it was when I was 32, the same age as my mother. Like, ‘That’s it, I’m not doing it.'”
Keoghan has also spoken about a near-fatal health crisis in 2021, when he suffered necrotizing fasciitis after sustaining an injury.
He said, “This is a flesh-eating bacteria infection that I got and it almost killed me. Technically it died for a few seconds.”
The actor is expected to continue filming the Beatles project through 2026, alongside Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson and Joseph Quinn, with the films set for release in 2028.
