Barry Keoghan deactivates Instagram over 'hatred' he receives

Irish actor Barry Keoghan has deactivated his Instagram account after receiving messages "no person should ever have to read".

It comes after rumours that the 32-year-old Saltburn star has split from his girlfriend, US pop star Sabrina Carpenter.

In a post on X, he urged "please be respectful" and said he left Instagram because he can "no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work".

"My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don't respond to. I have to respond now because it's getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed," he wrote.

"Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine.

"Dragging my character and everything I worked extremely hard for and stand for."

The actor said the comments were "crossing a line" as they have been "dragging my dear mother into it", and he talked about his grandmother's door being knocked and people sitting outside his baby son's house "intimidating them".

Keoghan has one child, Brando, 2, with a former partner.

He has been outspoken about his difficult childhood which saw him grow up in foster care after his mother died from a drug overdose.

In the statement, Keoghan added: "Each and every day I work harder to push myself on every level to be the healthiest and strongest person for that boy (his son).

"I want to provide opportunities for him to learn, fail and grow.

"I want him to be able to look up to his daddy, to have full trust in me and know I will have his back no matter what.

"I need you to remember he has to read all of this about his father when he is older.

"Please be respectful to all. Thank u x."

Last month, speaking on the Louis Theroux Podcast Keoghan said he had read "absolutely disgusting" comments about his appearance online.

He also spoke about his son being used as "ammunition" against him.

"If I didn't have tough skin or the strength to have, I wouldn't be sitting here. Of course, (my childhood is) going to affect me being a father when I had no blueprint to take from," he said.

"People just read that (as) laziness and go, 'Oh, that's no excuse to be an absent father'. I'm not an absent father.

"But it's just, again, people love to use my son as ammunition or whatever."

In 2023, Keoghan won the Bafta best supporting actor prize for his role in dark comedy The Banshees Of Inisherin and also received an Academy Award nomination for the role.

His other film roles include Martin in The Killing Of A Sacred Deer and Dympna in Calm With Horses.