Why did Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan break up? Fans speculate singer's new single "Manchild” is about her ex

Sabrina Carpenter announced her new single Manchild via an Instagram post on June 3, 2025. While the image featured in the post shows Sabrina asking for a lift on a highway, it is the announcement's caption that has gotten fans speculating if the song is about her ex-boyfriend, Barry Keoghan.

Sabrina captioned her post "this one’s about you!!", resulting in rumors about her track being aimed at Keoghan. The Espresso singer and Barry Keoghan were first linked together in December 2023. However, as per an insider's statement to PEOPLE in December 2024, the two decided to take a break from their year-long relationship because "they are both young and career-focused."

Shortly after Sabrina posted a glimpse of her upcoming single, fans of the singer took digs at Barry Keoghan and speculated this was Carpenter's way of getting back at him.

Fans react to Sabrina's caption announcing Manchild (Image via X)

Manchild's announcement followed several cryptic billboards that were spotted around Interstate 69, reportedly linked to the upcoming track. One of the billboards read "Hey men!" while the other mentioned "I swear they choose me, I’m not choosing them”.

---

Sabrina Carpenter's country version of Please, Please, Please was speculated to be a dig at Barry Keoghan: Details explored

Months after her reported separation from Barry Keoghan, Sabrina Carpenter released a country version of her track Please, Please, Please on February 14, 2025. The original version of the song featured Keoghan in the video, which was shot when the former couple was dating.

In the original music video, Keoghan plays a criminal, and Sabrina starts a relationship with him after he is released from prison. However, Keoghan's character returns to his old ways, resulting in Sabrina Carpenter's character handcuffing him to a chair. She then abandons him in an empty warehouse after taping his mouth and kissing him.

During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning's Tracy Smith in October 2024, Sabrina Carpenter reflected on how Barry Keoghan was cast in the Please, Please, Please music video. Gushing over her then-beau, the singer mentioned:

"I was like, 'Who's the greatest actor that I can find for this music video?' And he was next to me in a chair. And he was so excited about it.”

Additionally, in a September 2024 video with Variety, Barry Keoghan commented on shooting the music video, stating that he "had a great time."

As for the new music video, which also features a collaboration with Dolly Parton, the two female singers are on the road. After moments like Parton lighting a smoke for Sabrina and singing while driving the truck, the music video ends with the camera showing a handcuffed man at the back of the truck.

The man in the video is wearing an outfit similar to Barry Keoghan's in the original video, which led to speculations of Sabrina taking a dig at her ex-boyfriend.

While Sabrina Carpenter has gotten back to releasing new music post her breakup, Barry Keoghan opened up about the backlash and flak he received after their split. In a May 2025 interview with Hollywood Authentic, the Saltburn actor commented on rumors of him cheating on the singer.

"There was just so much on social media that wasn’t real. You know, we’re all going to check it. Anyone that tells you that they don’t check or search their name – they’re just telling absolute pony... But I was just getting an awful lot of slander. I can deal with that, and I can deal with people attacking my life… and then just more came from it," he said.

---

Barry Keoghan had deleted his Instagram account in December 2024 after posting a lengthy statement about the backlash he received following his breakup with Sabrina.

Additionally, Sabrina Carpenter has not commented on the ongoing rumors suggesting that her upcoming single is aimed at Keoghan.