Benny Blanco Slammed for Brushing Off Barry Keoghan’s Talk of Drug Addiction and Trauma in the Interview

Benny Blanco Criticized for Brushing Off Barry Keoghan’s Talk on Drug Addiction and Trauma

Benny Blanco has been strongly criticized by fans after an interview with actor Barry Keoghan was called “tone deaf” by viewers.

Barry, 33, was very honest about his drug addiction, his mother’s overdose death, and his own near-death experience when he came on Benny’s podcast Friends Keep Secrets.

Nonetheless, an Instagram reel promoting the episode was roundly condemned after it was edited in a way that made Barry’s voice humorous. The clip closed with cheerful Benny laughing and saying, “Wow, let’s go outside and talk about something fun!”, a reaction that many considered to be a dismissal of actor’s personal disclosures.

Barry Keoghan Spills the Beans on Drug Addiction and a Near-Death Experience During Benny Blanco’s Podcast

Benny Blanco’s new podcast Friends Keep Secrets released a promotional clip that started with Benny, Selena Gomez’s hubby, questioning Barry Keoghan about his drug use in the past. The actor verified that he had been clean for two and a half years, and he subsequently revealed a lot of very personal stuff about his family background and how he got sobriety.

“According to line, my mum heroine died at 32 and my dad passed away too, ” Barry said. “But the interest, that intention to still do this for me took me three times going to rehab.”

Next, the clip showed Barry saying he “technically died for a few seconds, ” and that made the co-host Lil Dicky ask him if he had any visions right after his near-death experience.

Benny Blanco Ignores Barry Keoghan’s Near-Death Story While Laughing, Fans Slam Him

The promotional video just as Barry Keoghan narrated his near-death experience changed to a dream sequence accompanied by distorted background music. Barry revealed that during his vision he saw a blonde woman walking away and he was trying to reach her but also he saw the figures stabbing him and he kept begging for his life.

“I was like, please let me stay, and they were like, alright, let them stay, ” Barry said, with his voice being distorted the whole time.

The music stopped suddenly as the camera showed Benny who giggled and said, “Wow, let’s just go outside and talk about something fun, ” and the laughter was joined by co-host Lil Dicky.

Supporters did not hold back their anger in the comments section, one of them wrote, “This clip completely disrespects the story Barry was telling in the episode. Doing ‘reel-ifying’ of everything for the sake of ‘content’ is quite sad, really.”

Fans Slam Benny Blanco for Laughing in Response to Barry Keoghan’s Near-Death Vision Story

Viewers have poured in the comment section criticizing Benny’s reaction as a dismissal and a lack of empathy. They claimed the moment was so significant it deserved more recognition and respect.
“We shouldn’t try to change the topic when things are getting personal, ” one fan said. “What he’s really talking about is so much bigger than any joke or quick laugh. Just think about how many people it will ultimately help as opposed to simply being a source of entertainment.”
These kinds of comments kept coming, one even said: “Maybe next time let’s give someone the benefit of the doubt when they decide to be vulnerable… especially when men decide to be vulnerable”. Another one just summarized it as “almost a touch of toxic positivity just to keep the vibe right”.
The discussion went on with fans showing their disappointment in Benny. “It was really tough, I thought I’d never hate Benny but this time he ruined it, ” one fan wrote. Another one expressed, “It’s like he’s totally out of touch. Some people really have no idea how difficult it is to fight with addiction. And moments like this shouldn’t be thrown away just for the sake of a laugh or shock value. Addiction is a real crisis in this country.”
Barry, who has been quite transparent about his addiction issues, also had a tough upbringing, being in 13 different foster homes.

Barry Keoghan’s Childhood Hardships in Dublin’s Summerhill

Barry Keoghan was raised in Summerhill one of Dublin’s toughest areas by his mother Debbie, who was a heroin addict, and his brother Eric. Almost nothing has been revealed about his father.

Due to his mother’s drug addiction that persisted and left her incapable of looking after her kids, at such a tender age of five, Barry and his younger brother had to be taken away and put into a foster home, which lasted for seven years.

Sooner or later, the two children managed to reside with their aunt, Lorraine Keoghan and her daughter, whom Barry refers to as “a sister.” Lorraine became the caregiver of her niece and nephews even though she was working as a pub cleaner to make ends meet.

The difference between Barry’s environment and his present life situation could not be bigger. Summerhill which is the district that Barry grew up in is notorious for drug trafficking, gang wars and other forms of crime an environment completely opposite to red carpets and designer clothes which are the things that currently characterize his public persona.

Barry Keoghan Reminisces About His Mother’s Death and Rough Upbringing

Problems in Barry’s area were not limited to his family as Summerhill is known for its crime and a gang attack on a Deliveroo cyclist is probably the most recent example of it that made headlines in 2022 when drivers refused to take orders from the area.

Without giving up, Barry stayed in touch with his mother Debbie even after his aunt Lorraine adopted him and he used to visit her daily. However, when he was only 12 years old, Barry got a really hard blow, his mother had died at 31.

Debbie who had struggled with addictions for years, eventually succumbed to the effects of pneumonia, septicemia, and hepatitis. Barry has called that day the “worst day of his life, ” but he also sees the tough experience as something that has made him a stronger person.

He shared with JOE about the death, “I recall it and it was a terrible thing. It’s never nice when children are taken away from their parents.”