"I'm not in denial anymore": Barry Keoghan opens up about his 'addiction' to drugs

Barry Keoghan, the Irish actor who starred in the 2022 superhero film The Batman, recently opened up to Hollywood Authentic about his struggles with drugs.

In an interview on May 1, 2025, Barry spoke about how he has accepted that he is suffering from an addiction and is not living in denial anymore. He said:

''I'm not in denial anymore. I understand that I do have an addiction, and I am an addict.''

After admitting to being addicted, he said that when you learn to accept it, it allows one to move on and learn how to work with the addiction, in the interview.

Barry Keoghan on his addiction to drugs

Earlier in May, Barry was interviewed by Hollywood Authentic's Greg Williams in Dublin. The deeply personal interview covered Barry's childhood, which was marked by loss, his confrontation with addiction, and his journey towards recovery.

The actor recalled his mother's death from heroin addiction when he was a kid. Following the death of his mother, Barry and his brother, Eric, were placed in foster care and they changed up to 14 houses, before eventually being raised by their grandmother.

He also spoke about how his mother's death from drug addiction affected his curiosity surrounding drugs. He also shared about how well he was doing professionally, but was still struggling in private. In 2022, he welcomed a baby boy named Brando and said that even though he had a baby, his coming into this world didn't stop me from being curious (about drugs).'

He also admitted being addicted to drugs because of his curiosity, and also because of fame. He said:

''That should be enough to go, 'OK, if I dabble here, I'm (screwed). But your curiosity is a powerful thing. You go to LA, you go to Hollywood, wherever the big scene is. There's an enormous amount of pressure, and a different lifestyle that is good and bad for you.''

Speaking of how he got into rehab, he said that it was his driver, Niall, who took him there. He said:

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''Niall literally drove me and put me on a plane himself, came with me and brought me to the rehab in England. I went back to visit. It was nice to see the staff again, and for them to see the change in me. They were quite emotional about it. I’m forever grateful. When I say that Niall is the best, I mean it, because no one else put me on the plane, by the hand, literally got on the plane with me.''

In the interview, the Saltburn actor also emphasized accountability and support from loved ones in overcoming his challenges. During the interview, Barry took the interviewer to some spots in Dublin where he grew up and had memories, including Sheriff Street and Croke Park.

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