Barry Keoghan Sets the Record Straight on Sabrina Carpenter Cheating Rumors

Barry Keoghan finally said out loud what everyone online has been arguing about: those cheating rumors tied to his split from Sabrina Carpenter. Short version: he says it didn't happen. Longer version: he went dark for months because the internet ran with a story he never addressed, and he got tired of getting pummeled for it.

What he actually said

On the Tuesday, April 28 episode of the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, the 33-year-old actor told hosts (including Lil Dicky) that he pulled himself off Instagram, stopped going to events, and basically ducked the spotlight because a narrative took off about his breakup that he never confirmed and didn't recognize. When Lil Dicky asked point-blank if he was talking about the rumor that he cheated on Carpenter, 26, Keoghan made it clear that was the story in question — and he denied it.

He also pushed back on the way it all spiraled: he isn't asking for sympathy or new fans, he just wants people to stop assuming the worst and dogpiling. As he put it:

"Why is it cool to hop on and beat someone up?"

Where the rumor came from (and why he's still annoyed)

Keoghan says the cheating talk caught fire after a woman posted a video claiming he stepped out. According to him, she later uploaded a separate clip admitting she made it up — but that apology barely traveled compared to the original hit piece. He says he chose not to publicly call her out by name because he didn't want to unleash more heat on her, but the damage was done.

He also acknowledged the obvious: once you date in public, your personal life gets magnified whether you like it or not. He still doesn't want to drag other people into it.

The breakup and everything that followed

Keoghan and Carpenter were together for close to a year before a split was confirmed in December 2025. At the time, the word behind the scenes was basic but believable: their calendars just didn't sync, and the "Espresso" singer didn't have bandwidth to fully commit to a relationship right then.

Around the end of 2025, fans also noticed Keoghan had nuked his Instagram. He then explained on X that he deactivated because the pile-on crossed too many lines — not just about his work and character, but even his looks and his parenting. He wrote that he needed to shut it out to stay focused on his family and his job. For context, he shares a 3-year-old son, Brando, with ex-girlfriend Alyson Sandro.

Quick timeline

• Nearly a year of dating ends with a breakup confirmed in December 2025; reason cited: clashing schedules, and Carpenter not having time to commit.
• Late 2025: Keoghan deletes his Instagram and posts on X about stepping back after relentless online attacks, saying he needs to protect his family and work.
• April 28, 2026: On the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, he says he went off the grid because of a false narrative about the split, confirms he's addressing the cheating rumor, denies it, and says an influencer's apology never reached as far as the original accusation.

The bottom line

Keoghan is trying to reset the story: he says he didn't cheat, he's not interested in a sympathy tour, and he'd prefer the internet stop sharpening knives over a rumor that even its original source walked back — just not loudly enough.