After over a year of dating, Brianna LaPaglia, known online as “Brianna Chickenfry,” and Zach Bryan split, shocking both groups of fans. While the couple’s relationship was portrayed online as nothing short of a country girl’s dream, behind the Instagram posts was another story.
Announcing their breakup, Bryan broke the news via his Instagram story, writing that he and LaPaglia had broken up. The same day, she posted a photo on her own Instagram story, explaining that she was “blindsided.” Later that day, she posted a YouTube video to the Plan Bri Uncut account, her podcast’s YouTube channel, where she said she wasn’t prepared to take the breakup public yet, and was surprised by Bryan’s post. Ultimately, LaPaglia alluded that there was much more to the story, which she would eventually share.
BFFs Make a Diss Track
While LaPaglia was waiting for the right time to discuss the breakup on BFFs, her other podcast with Barstool Sports, her two cohosts on the podcast, Josh Richards and Dave Portnoy, decided to take matters into their own hands. With Richards’ viral 2020 diss track “Still Softish” and Portnoy’s love of Taylor Swift and her songs about ex-boyfriends, the duo released their own diss track for Bryan titled “Smallest Man” –– a play off of Swift’s “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.”
After the diss track blew up on YouTube and other social media platforms, it was ultimately taken down due to Richards’ 2020 contract with Warner Music Group, which so happens to be Bryan’s record label as well. But, the song’s popularity still resonates with fans even after it was taken off of the internet.
Later, Portnoy released a new diss track, without Richards, titled “Country Diddy” which was released on Nov. 10. This one was able to stay up on social medias and fans still flocked to it.
Hearing From Bri
About two weeks after her candid YouTube video on the Plan Bri Uncut YouTube, LaPaglia discussed her breakup with Bryan on an episode of BFFs. From the episode, one of the things that shocked fans the most was that LaPaglia said Bryan’s team offered her 12 million dollars to sign an NDA –– meaning she would never be able to talk about him or the breakup publicly. After thinking it over, she decided to turn the money down in hopes of bringing more awareness to what she had been through over the past year.
Throughout the episode, LaPaglia recounted the many times that Bryan was emotionally abusive to her, including a time when he drunkenly screamed at her friends during her birthday. Another example that she gave was her renegotiating of her Barstool Sports contract. She said Bryan offered her twice the amount of money she would make at the company for her to not work at all.
The last time LaPaglia saw Bryan, she said she asked for a hug, leading him to scoff at her, summing up their relationship in those final moments.
Social Media is No Equivalent to Real Life
While LaPaglia was suffering from this emotional abuse, the internet believed the two were truly in love. Between Bryan’s heartfelt Instagram captions and stories and her TikToks and posts of them with their two dogs and three cats, many didn’t see what was lying under the surface.
One example that LaPaglia gave on the BFFs podcast was during the Golden Globe Awards. Attending the awards, she wore a sheer, sparkly white gown on the red carpet. Bryan that night unfollowed her out of anger over her dress and how she presented herself, according to LaPaglia. Later though, he refollowed her on Instagram and reposted her photos at the Golden Globes, calling her beautiful in the post –– twisting the story for viewers.
While celebrities and influencers may portray one side of their relationship online, it’s important to keep in mind as viewers that we are not seeing the full picture. In this case, especially, with Bryan’s extreme popularity in the country music industry, it was hard for fans to imagine he was capable of this abuse.
With that, don’t read a book –– or a TikTok –– by its cover. As social media continues to grow, it’s important to take posts with a grain of salt and listen when people come out to tell the truth.
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