By Jennifer Zhan
Zach Bryan and Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia have officially ended their relationship after more than a year together, but it seems Brianna wasn’t prepared for the news to break. On October 22, Bryan shared on his Instagram Story that he had faced a “hard year personally” and felt it was best for them to part ways. Later that day, LaPaglia posted a YouTube video, revealing that the breakup had only happened the day before and expressing her frustration that Bryan hadn’t given her a heads-up before making the split public. “I wanted to just like be hurt for a week and lay in bed, you know?” she said, adding that she felt “blindsided.”
Who Are They?
Zach Bryan is a 28-year-old country singer-songwriter who released his fifth album, The Great American Bar Scene, in July. He recently stirred controversy among Swifties with a tweet comparing Taylor Swift to Kanye West, which he later claimed was made in a drunken state.
Brianna LaPaglia, better known as Brianna Chickenfry, is a 25-year-old influencer and podcaster for Barstool Sports. She co-hosts the BFFs podcast with Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, who publicly showed his support for her post-breakup by dedicating a Taylor Swift song to her.
When Did Their Relationship Start?
Bryan and LaPaglia met at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 2023. After attending one of his concerts, she was invited on stage with her fellow BFFs co-host, Josh Richards. In June, LaPaglia's podcast released an episode titled “Eat the Rich (Except Zach Bryan),” which led Bryan to slide into her DMs. Their relationship was officially confirmed in July.
What Has Bryan Said About the Breakup?
In his October 22 Instagram Story, Bryan didn’t specify the reason for the breakup but expressed “love and respect” for LaPaglia. He acknowledged his imperfections and apologized for any disappointment he caused, saying, “I failed people that love me and mostly myself.”
How Has LaPaglia Responded?
In her YouTube video titled “Love you guys, I’ll be back soon,” LaPaglia revealed that the breakup occurred on October 21, the same day she posted a cryptic Instagram note about how “life goes on, even if you don’t want it to.” She mentioned crying for days and questioned how one can love someone “unconditionally” only to be “discarded” shortly after. LaPaglia stated that she plans to take a break from social media to heal privately before returning to discuss the situation in more detail.
What’s the Connection to Raya?
Just before the breakup was confirmed, a Reddit user claimed to have seen Bryan on the exclusive dating app Raya. Given the timing of LaPaglia’s comments, speculation arose that Bryan might have started swiping right soon after their split. An unnamed source later told Us Weekly that Bryan had been using dating apps during their relationship, with someone allegedly sending LaPaglia his Raya profile. Although Bryan denied any allegations of infidelity, he agreed that they should break up.
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