WHEN his relationship with pop star Sabrina Carpenter imploded 18 months ago, Barry Keoghan’s life was left in tatters amid allegations he cheated.
The award-winning actor, who is playing in the hotly anticipated , after being relentlessly attacked online by Sabrina’s fans.
Barry Keoghan’s new girlfriend is Danica Hall, who pals describe as ‘down-to-earth’ Credit: Splash
Barry has stepped back into the limelight with a new woman on his arm Credit: Splash
But last week, Dublin-born stepped back into the limelight with a new woman on his arm.
And far from being a global superstar, she’s a down-to-earth Brit.
“Barry’s new girlfriend is Danica Hall,” a friend tells The Sun. “Compared to she couldn’t be more low key.
“She was born in and moved to London a few years ago. She was working for a cosmetic surgery company on Harley Street.
“Danica — or Neeka as her mates call her — is well-connected through her work. She met Barry through mates and they started talking. It evolved into a romance and they’ve both been totally smitten.”
Saltburn and star Barry, 33, and Danica, 29, were photographed together for the first time last week. They were seen kissing while picking up coffees on a relaxed holiday in .
Friends say the pair have been together officially for weeks, with those close to Barry telling The Sun that Neeka reminds them of , the mother of his three-year-old son Brando.
The 39-year-old dated Barry from 2021 to July 2023, five months before he was first linked to Sabrina.
“Alyson was a dental nurse when she met Barry,” a pal explains.
“She didn’t court the spotlight then and she certainly doesn’t now.
“Her relationship with Barry may be over but they will share their son forever. She is a devoted mother and caring for Brando is her priority.
“That is something Barry really values in a partner. That sense of ‘normalness’ he had with Alyson, who wasn’t bothered about living a public life, is what his friends think he has found again in Neeka.”
Barry’s new romance is a stark contrast to the one he had with American , 27.
They became one of 2024’s biggest It couples, with loved-up appearances at and the .
Barry was even rolled out as part of Sabrina’s album campaign for Short N’ Sweet, appearing in the music video for her single Please, Please, Please.
“Neeka is totally in sync with Barry,” a friend explains. “When their relationship got more serious, she deleted all of her profiles, even her .
Barry and new girlfriend Danica share an intimate moment Credit: Splash
Barry with ex Sabrina Carpenter at the 2024 Met Gala Credit: Getty
“She gets that he wants to live a quiet life and she is totally down with that.”
Those close to Barry also say that he has never been happier.
A pal adds: “Career- wise, Barry is going from strength to strength.
“The will be intense from next year, with promotion all over the globe and Barry knows his feet won’t touch the ground.
“With Neeka, he’s been able to spend time doing things he loves. Working hard, living a quiet life and hanging out with his mates.”
When Barry split from Sabrina after a year, a source cited their busy workloads. But then all hell broke loose.
Social media trolls and hardline Sabrina fans accused him of cheating.
The unfounded claims were fuelled further by a personality called , who was linked to Barry on a gossip website. In a statement posted just days after his split was made public, Barry wrote: “I can only sit and take so much. I deactivated my account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work.
Barry with Alyson Kierans, the mother of his three-year-old son Brando Credit: Getty
Barry, above as Ringo, was announced as one of the new Fab Four for Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopics Credit: PA
“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.”
Those close to Barry said it was comments about his late mother, who died of a when he was 12, that hurt the most.
The star, who spent his formative years in and out of the care system in Ireland, said of his background: “She was just unable to look after us.
“My father wasn’t there and so we got taken into care.
“That kind of thing still haunts me. You don’t forget waiting on the social worker’s steps and waiting for a new family to come and play with you. You ask: why you?”
In his heartfelt statement announcing he was leaving social media, Barry also described the messages sent to him.
He wrote: “Talking about how I was a heroin baby and how I grew up, and dragging my dear mother into it. Knocking on my granny’s door. Sitting outside my baby boy’s house intimidating them. That’s crossing a line.”
Barry recently starred alongside Cillian Murphy in the Peaky Blinders film released in March Credit: PA
Barry shot to fame after his role in 2023 film Saltburn Credit: Alamy
But just four months after he bid a public retreat, Barry was unveiled as one of the new Fab Four for Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopics.
Insiders revealed that he threw himself into the work alongside , and ahead of filming, which started production earlier this year.
He was rarely seen or gave interviews, and kept a low profile.
But last August, he hit the headlines again after Sabrina dropped her album Man’s Best Friend, which once again led to frenzied speculation that some of the songs were about him.
She even remade the video for Please, Please, Please, with the new version showing Barry’s character tied up in the boot of her car.
Sabrina refused to shut down allegations of cheating and said of her album: “I write songs about exactly how I feel, so I guess I can’t be surprised that people are interested in who and what those songs are about.”
In March this year, Barry told how he was still getting abuse online. He said: “There’s a lot of hate online. There’s a lot of abuse of how I look, and it’s kind of past the point of, ‘Everyone goes through that’.
“And everyone does, but it’s made me shy away.
Danica is said to be nothing like Barry’s previous girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter Credit: Splash
Those close to Barry insist he will not be hard-launching his romance with Danica Credit: Splash
“It’s made me really go inside myself, not want to attend places, not want to go outside.
“And I say this being absolute pure and honest to you. It’s becoming a problem.”
The following month he addressed the backlash around Sabrina, saying: “There was a narrative out there that was never really sort of even spoken on — a narrative that’s not true — and I never confirmed or said anything about it. And I just disappeared.
“I’m not asking for people to become my fans and like me because that’s not normal.
“I’m asking for people to stop assuming and also stop jumping on this narrative and attacking me and dragging me down in any way you can. I’m not saying this for pity. Why is it cool to hop on and beat someone up?”
Now, those close to Barry insist he will not be hard-launching his romance with Danica.
A friend added: “He has been through a high- profile romance, he’s not in a hurry to go back.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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