If you’ve been on the internet lately, odds are you know who Barry Keoghan is. He’s an Irish actor… but most importantly, he’s also Sabrina Carpenter’s boyfriend.
Olivia Wong / Getty Images
Well, the public hasn’t been too sure on the timeline of Barry and Sabrina’s relationship — and it’s important context, so listen up. They first sparked dating rumours at the end of 2023, and then they went public in February of 2024…
Kristy Sparow / Getty Images, Monica Schipper / Getty Images
…but on Aug. 16, gossip blog Deuxmoi reported that the pair had broken up. Which became confusing for people, because they posted about each other on Instagram shortly after. It was later revealed that their relationship is “on and off.”
Dave Benett / Getty Images
This is important, so stick with me!!!
And honestly? That made a lot of sense. Because when Sabrina’s hit “Please Please Please” came out earlier this summer, people noticed it seemed like it was about Barry. Like, not in a positive light.
Marleen Moise / Getty Images
The song is essentially about being embarrassed by one’s partner. Some lyrics that might hint to Barry are: “I heard that you’re an actor, so act like a stand up guy” and “I tell them it’s just your culture, and everyone rolls their eyes.”
Steve Jennings / Getty Images
As far as we know, Sabrina hasn’t dated a non-American as of recent (unless you count Canadian Shawn Mendes, who isn’t an actor). So it’s pretty obvious this points to Barry.
And when Barry praised the song on Instagram and appeared as Sabrina’s love interest in the music video, it appeared… odd… for a lot of people — because, you know, it’s probably about him.
And today, I’m ~pleased~ to report that we have another very important detail to add to this lore.
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
We ran into Barry at the Toronto International Film Festival and asked him a very important question: what was his song of the summer? And I was NOT expecting to hear the answer he gave.
Isabella Torchia / BuzzFeed
“The number-one song,” he replied.
Isabella Torchia / BuzzFeed
What was arguably the biggest number-one hit this summer? Yep, “Please Please Please.” The song that’s allegedly about him, and features him in the music video.
Antoine Flament / Getty Images
He could also be talking about “Espresso,” which was another huge hit this summer. “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” were constantly replacing each other in the #1 spot (and it was nothing short of iconic), so our guess is Barry was talking about one of those two.
Joseph Okpako / WireImage
Other people are saying he’s talking about her most-recent single, “Taste,” off her brand-new album Short n’ Sweet. Because although it’s not #1 YET, it is in Ireland, where Barry is from. Although TBH, this feels unlikely to me, because it wasn’t a summer song.
Anyway, with this new information, it looks like Barry is truly owning his role — not just as Sabrina’s boyfriend, but also the muse that inspired “Please Please Please.” And above all, he’s simultaneously supporting his girlfriend.
Olivia Wong / Getty Images
I’m not sure why he wouldn’t just say the name of the song, but hey, that’s neither here nor there. Maybe he was trying to be sneaky.
Barry knows, just like all of us, that it’s all about Sabrina Carpenter right now. And because of that, the internet has realized, hey, maybe Barry is actually cuter than we thought.
So although the situation might be a bit out of the ordinary, hey, it’s still a win!
Check out the full video here:
