Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan Speak Out Amid Breakup Rumors

Cryptic comments and social media hints keep fans guessing about the celebrity couple's status.

By Ashley Turner

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have found themselves at the focus of intense public scrutiny as rumors circulate about the status of their relationship. As speculation about a potential breakup intensifies, both the American singer-actress and the Irish actor have made public statements that have only added to the intrigue surrounding their alleged coupling.

Carpenter, 25, known for her hit single "Espresso," has been linked to the Oscar-nominated Keoghan, 31, since December 2023. The pair went public with their relationship in March 2024, making a red carpet debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty. However, recent weeks have seen rumors of a potential split.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Carpenter addressed her collaboration with Keoghan on her "Please Please Please" music video. The singer praised the opportunity, stating it was "one of the best experiences I've ever had." She continued, "I'm very honored and I got to work with such a great actor." However, the interviewer noted that Carpenter then "scrunched her face, mocked her own 'coy diplomacy' and repeated that he's 'such a great actor' in a mocking voice," suggesting a level of discomfort or playfulness when discussing her relationship with Keoghan.

Carpenter's coyness about her personal life is not without reason. She explained, "It's not what I signed up for, but I can't really help when I was born. I want to be honest — I want to just write about what's happening in my life as a 25-year-old girl." She acknowledged the public interest in her private life as an inevitable part of her career, adding, "But it comes with the territory and I just have to be like… OK!"

In contrast to her comments to The Guardian, Carpenter was more forthcoming in a Variety interview about Keoghan's performance in her music video. She praised his work, saying, "I don't want to sound biased, but I think he's one of the best actors of this generation. So getting to see him on the screen with my song as the soundtrack made the video better and all the more special." She also noted that Keoghan was "obsessed with the lyrics, and I'm so grateful for that."

Meanwhile, Keoghan has been less vocal about the relationship but has made his presence felt through social media interactions. On Aug. 16, amid breakup rumors, he seemingly responded by liking Carpenter's Instagram post featuring her in baby blue lingerie. More recently, on August 28, Keoghan left a comment on a Bratz Instagram post advertising Sabrina Carpenter and Jenna Ortega dolls. His comment, "Can I have one?" sparked speculation among fans about the status of their relationship.

Further complicating matters, an unnamed source recently told People that Carpenter and Keoghan are "on and off," suggesting a potentially tumultuous nature to their relationship. According to a source recently reported in OK! Magazine, the couple had "definitely broken up." The insider revealed that their "arguing" caused the split but that there is still "a chance they will get back together eventually."

The timeline of their relationship has been closely scrutinized by fans and media. The pair first sparked dating rumors in December 2023 when they were spotted on a dinner date in Los Angeles. Their relationship seemed to progress quickly, with public appearances at a Grammy Awards afterparty in February 2024, followed by their red carpet debut as a couple at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty in March.

Carpenter's new album, Short n' Sweet, released on Aug. 23, has added fuel to the gossip fire. Fans have theorized that some of the songs on the album, particularly "Bed Chem," reference her relationship with Keoghan. The lyrics "Who's the cute boy with the white jacket and the thick accent?" and "I was in a sheer dress the day we met" have been linked to their first meeting at Givenchy's Spring-Summer 2024 show in Paris, where Carpenter wore a see-through black gown, and Keoghan sported a white coat.

However, the album has also inspired discussions about potential references to other relationships. Some fans have speculated that the song "Taste" alludes to a love triangle involving Carpenter, Shawn Mendes, and his ex Camila Cabello. Carpenter and Mendes were briefly linked in 2023, followed by Mendes reconnecting with Cabello before that relationship also ended, per OK! Magazine.

In June 2024, before the release of her album and amid the growing public interest in her relationship with Keoghan, Carpenter addressed the challenges of maintaining privacy in her personal life. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she hinted at having an undefined relationship, asking how she could "skirt around this question" when asked if she considered Keoghan to be her boyfriend.

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"Obviously, I write songs about exactly how I feel, so I guess I can't be so surprised that people are interested in who and what those songs are about," she said. "That's something that comes with the territory."

Carpenter further reflected on the challenges of remaining confidential in the era of social media. In her interview with The Guardian, she admitted, "In this era of social media, it's difficult to keep anything private. It's not what I signed up for, but it's the reality of the time we live in. [...] I just want to be honest and write about what's happening in my life as a 25-year-old woman."

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