Why did Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter break up? Actor’s dating history explored 

Sabrina Carpenter's December 2024 split with Barry Keoghan made headlines again recently, when she opened the European segment of her Short n’ Sweet tour on March 3. Carpenter was performing in Dublin, which is her Irish ex-boyfriend's hometown. According to Mirror, she indirectly referenced her ex during the performance, calling out,

“Dublin, it's so lovely to be here. You all look and sound amazing. But my goodness, these Irish boys are hard work”

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan, who broke up at the end of 2024, according to US Weekly, had been in a relationship since January 2024. Reportedly, the famous couple broke up due to pressures of their individual careers. A confidential source reported to US Weekly that the breakup was non-hostile, with both Carpenter and Keoghan agreeing that the best way forward for them would be separately.

The Espresso singer and Saltburn actor’s highly publicized relationship was the subject of intense media scrutiny. While they were a couple, Carpenter and Keoghan made appearances at public events that would become the talk of town. Their appearance during the 2024 Met Gala was one such event when the uber-stylish ex-couple posed together and looked very much in love.

When Carpenter released her single Please Please Please, fans of the couple were overjoyed to see Barry Keoghan starring in the music video alongside Carpenter, posing as her love interest. With lyrics such as, “I heard that you're an actor,” the couple’s relationship transformed into true pop culture fare.

With the split, however, Keoghan’s place in Carpenter’s music video has been taken over by Dolly Parton. Parton starred in an alternate version of the single’s music video released in February 2025.

The break up led to Barry Keoghan becoming a victim of extreme trolling as a result of speculation that he had cheated on Carpenter. The speculations were denied by Breckie Hill, the woman that Keoghan had allegedly cheated with, but Keoghan was forced to delete his Instagram account. He also released a statement on X, writing,

“I can only sit and take so much. My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don’t respond to. I have to respond now because it’s gettin to a place where there are too many lines being crossed. I deactivated my account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work. The messages I have received no person should ever have to read them. Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine.”

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Barry Keoghan’s dating history

Barry Keoghan, who gained widespread recognition after his roles in 2017 releases The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Dunkirk, was in a relationship with Irish photographer Shona Guerin from 2017 to 2021, according to Elle. The couple, who met in a bar, were very much in love at the time. Irish Central quoted Keoghan from an interview he did with Lucy Kennedy where the star admitted to the significance of Guerin in his life. He said,

“I’d be down on myself and she’d pick me right up and remind me what I’m doing. She’s made me a man. She’s the girl I want to be with for the rest of my life.”

Also confessing that his famous Irish co-stars, Collin Farrell and Cillian Murphy had advised him on his relationship, Keoghan revealed,

“Any of the lads I work with, Colin, Cillian, they're always like, 'Don't mess this up.’ They see how important she is.”

The relationship did not work out though, with the couple unfollowing each other sometime in 2020, according to The Sun.

Keoghan went on to date Alyson Sandro. The Scottish orthodontist was a part of an interview that Keoghan did with GQ, and was nine months pregnant at the time. The couple had also met in a bar, with Sandro not believing Keoghan when he said he was featuring in a superhero film (referring to Marvel’s Eternals). When Keoghan shared images of himself from the set, Sandro was convinced.

The couple’s son, Brando, was born in August 2022. His name is inspired by the legendary actor Marlon Brando, according to GQ, which quoted Keoghan’s emotional reaction to the birth of his son. Keoghan spoke to the interviewer about the love he has for his son, saying,

“It’s indescribable…It’s a love I’ve not felt before.”

In July 2023, however, The Sun reported that the couple had split.

Barry Keoghan continues to push boundaries as an actor. His work in The Banshees of Inisherin was widely recognized. He won the BAFTA for his role and was nominated for an Oscar in the supporting actor category.