Entertainment

The true story behind Brianna LaPaglia’s relationship with Zach Bryan

Julia Alexander and Juliana Ruffner

November 18, 2024

28-year-old country singer/songwriter Zach Bryan, who’s risen to fame with his recent album “American Heartbreak,” has just recently broken up with Barstool Sports’ personality Brianna “Chickenfry” Lapaglia after over a year of dating, but recent confessions from LaPaglia unveils alleged emotional abuse. LaPaglia found out about her breakup alongside the rest of the public when Bryan announced the news via Instagram stories on Oct. 22. His post read: “Brianna and me have broken up with each other and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart.” Later that day, on her podcast “BFFs,” hosted alongside Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards, LaPaglia said that she felt “blindsided” by the post and revealed a history of Bryan’s questionable behavior.

Bryan announces breakup via Instagram Stories (@zachlanebryan)

Here is an outline of their year-long relationship:

May 2023: The two met at the ACM Awards.
June 2023: Bryan DM’d LaPaglia after she attended his New York City concert, in which she openly praised Bryan for his performance.
July 2023: Their relationship officially began.
Jan. 2024: LaPaglia attended the Golden Globes wearing a silver dress that she posted on her social media accounts. Bryan told her to take the post down because he disliked how she “presented herself.” After she refused to, he unfollowed her on Instagram.
June 2024: After LaPaglia left her birthday party, Bryan allegedly caused a scene, hurling insults at her friends and smashing glass.
Oct. 2024: Bryan publicly broke up with LaPaglia.

Following the breakup, Bryan offered LaPaglia $12 million to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which would force her to remain silent about the relationship and the breakup, which she called his “final shot at silencing her.” She turned it down, saying, “I’m not signing away my experiences that I went through to protect someone that hurt me.”

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Multiple times, LaPaglia has stated that she was “scared of him,” as she was subjected to a cycle of emotional abuse. Even in the beginning of their relationship, she said she experienced “love bombing” (lavishing someone with attention or affection to manipulate them), as Bryan got a tattoo of her on his arm after only knowing her for a few days. She reported recurring events of verbal abuse, stating that he would scream at her and find excuses to treat her poorly, then apologize excessively, followed by more mistreatment. Bryan asked her to quit her Barstool gig, and when she refused to do so, he offered to pay double her salary and said she was “destined for so much more.” LaPaglia said, throughout the relationship, “ I was made to hate so many things about myself that I want to love.” Even now, after the breakup, LaPaglia was almost too afraid to speak up about her abuse, as she was scared to make him mad.

If you or someone you know is currently experiencing signs of emotional abuse, please visit one of the resources below:

https://stoprelationshipabuse.org/
loveisrespect.org
nomore.org

About the Contributors

Julia Alexander, AP Style & Copy Editor Leader

Julia Alexander is a senior, the AP Style & Copy Editor Leader, and a first-year writer for the Buzz. When Julia is not writing for the Buzz, you can find her playing softball or working at Chick-fil-A. Her favorite color is green and her favorite movie is Robin Hood. After high school, she plans on majoring in communications and going into journalism.

Juliana Ruffner, Assistant Editor-in-chief

Juliana Ruffner is a senior, the Assistant Editor-in-chief, and a first-year writer for The Buzz. When Juliana is not writing for The Buzz, you can find her reading, listening to music, or playing softball. Her favorite artists are Taylor Swift and Zach Bryan, and her favorite movie is The Batman. After high school, she plans to study criminal psychology.