Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia is kicking off the new year in a bold way.
Okay, so, like, it’s been a few days since he – Zach Bryan, my Zach – got married to Samantha Leonard over in Spain, and this girl, a personality from Barstool Sports, posted something so shady online. Everyone thinks it was totally aimed at Zach, a little jab at him, and honestly? I kind of think they’re right. It’s just…ugh. It’s all just so frustrating to see!
On January 2nd, 26-year-old Brianna posted a TikTok video of herself lip-syncing to Taylor Swift’s 2022 song “Mastermind.” She gave a knowing smile to the camera before saying the line, “Checkmate, I couldn’t lose.”
One person jokingly predicted that Britney Spears will be doing well in 2026, while another commented that others can try to imitate her success, but they’ll never quite capture the same magic.
As a big fan of Zach, I was so excited to see his recent post! After his marriage to Rose Madden ended in 2021, I was happy to see him seemingly announce he’s married again. On December 31st, he shared a beautiful black and white photo on Instagram of him carrying his new wife, Samantha, who looked stunning in a white dress and was holding a glass of wine. He simply captioned it, “Tougher than the rest,” which is just so sweet!
Videos shared online showed the Grammy-winning artist carrying his new wife to a classic green car decorated with a “Just Married” sign and tin cans on the back.
Although Zach seems to have found love again, his recent breakup with Brianna caused a lot of online controversy. Shortly after he announced the split, Brianna publicly shared that she was shocked and hurt, and later claimed he had been emotionally abusive during their time together.
In January 2025, Zach finally spoke up about the situation. He didn’t respond directly to Brianna’s claims, but he made it clear he wouldn’t tolerate online harassment of his family and friends.
He publicly challenged anyone who disliked him, saying he could handle the negativity because he’s an adult. However, he drew the line at attacking his friends, who he described as supportive and loving.
For a closer look at Zach and Brianna’s separation, keep scrolling…
As a big fan of both Zach and Brianna, I started getting worried when I noticed they hadn’t been posting many pictures together lately. It wasn’t just me, either – everyone online was starting to wonder if they’d broken up, and people were definitely voicing their concerns!
Brianna admitted on the October 2, 2024, episode of the BFFs podcast that she’d had a tough week. After hosts Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards asked about rumors of a breakup, she explained that a lack of social media posts about each other sparked the speculation. She clarified that they had briefly separated because her boyfriend was dealing with personal issues, but they are now back together and doing well.
Zach had already gotten on Dave’s bad side by joking about Taylor Swift (though he did apologize). However, Dave, who runs Barstool Sports and jokingly calls himself a big Taylor Swift fan, let it slide because Zach was dating Brianna.
Before news of Brianna and Zach’s breakup became public, Brianna shared advice on Haliey Welch’s Talk Tuah podcast, warning against dating celebrities.
Brianna shared on the BFFs podcast that she previously said she’d never date a celebrity. She explained that she ‘literally never wanted to,’ but then ended up doing so, which she discussed on the October 22, 2024 episode—the same day news of her breakup became public.
You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I’ve realized something important. I used to be open to anything, but now I’m firmly advising myself – and anyone who’ll listen – to just steer clear of dating celebrities. It’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way, and honestly, I wish I’d known it sooner!
She added that, in her opinion, it’s healthier to avoid dating someone famous, as it can be very complicated and stressful.
On October 21, 2024, Brianna posted a photo on Instagram of a handwritten note that revealed some strong emotions.
Eventually, you’ll realize that life continues, even when you wish it wouldn’t. Time will pass and the world will keep moving, even as you long for it to pause. You might feel like life is unfair for carrying on while you feel stuck, and you’ll likely search for people or moments to blame. But then, one day, you’ll wake up and understand that life isn’t cruel—you are the one who’s holding yourself back. The world keeps turning, hoping to show you that you can move forward too.
All was revealed the next day.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen firsthand how public breakups can be incredibly difficult. Just an hour after Zach shared his side on Instagram last October, Brianna responded with a very honest post. She admitted she was completely shocked and needed space to heal, saying she’d be stepping away from social media until she was ready to talk. It’s a good reminder that sometimes, taking time for yourself privately is the healthiest thing to do.
She expressed her deep affection, thanking everyone for their supportive messages. She reminded them that they are cherished and assured them that things will eventually be alright.
In a YouTube video posted on October 22, 2024, Brianna explained that she had been crying non-stop for five days when she saw Zach’s post and the reaction to it. She recorded the video from her bathroom floor, describing it as a place where she felt some comfort.
She was completely surprised to see the post appear. He hadn’t contacted her at all – no texts, no calls. She woke up to a flood of messages asking if she was alright, and her first thought was something terrible must have happened, like her father had passed away.
Still shocked and hurt, she explained how devastating it was to give everything to someone only to be abruptly left behind. She said it was incredibly painful.
Brianna explained she wasn’t ready to discuss what happened right away, but she would eventually. “We split up yesterday,” she said, “and I needed some time to process it privately, as a person, before making it public.”
All she wanted at the moment, she said, was to “just be hurt for a week and lay in bed.”
After Brianna publicly discussed their split, Dave posted a link to Taylor Swift’s song “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” on YouTube, seemingly dedicating it to her.
A friend took a screenshot of that and posted it to Brianna’s Instagram Story on October 24th, with a message saying Brianna had given permission for it. The message explained she’d be returning on Wednesday to spend time with close friends, that she was currently with loved ones, and that the friend had been sharing kind messages from fans with her, which she appreciated.
Brianna addressed rumors of a falling out with her PlanBri Uncut podcast co-host, Grace O’Malley, after some noticed she hadn’t publicly wished Grace a happy birthday. She used an Instagram Story on October 30th to clarify the situation.
Brianna decided she needed to prioritize her relationships and set limits on how much she shared online. She wants to protect her personal life and focus on real-world connections.
She recently explained in another post that she’s decided to keep her personal relationships private. She feels like the internet often tries to create problems for those relationships. She shared that she and Grace have been close like sisters since she was fifteen, and she sent Grace birthday wishes privately.
Okay, so it absolutely destroyed me when Grace announced she was leaving Barstool in December 2025. It all happened after that huge falling out with Brianna, and honestly, it felt like a total gut punch. I mean, they were inseparable, and seeing that friendship crumble… and then Grace leaving? It was awful. Still hurts, if I’m being real.
Dave and Josh, the hosts of the BFFs podcast, channeled their annoyances into a diss track titled “Smallest Man.”
A song uploaded to YouTube in November 2024 starts with the lines, ‘I said trust me, caught your pants on fire.’ It goes on to accuse someone of dishonesty and being unpleasant, referencing dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Raya, and predicting they’ll face consequences and need to redeem themselves.
The song was briefly taken down due to copyright claims by Warner Music Group, but it was put back online the same day.
Dave commented on X about the recent issues with Zach Bryan and Warner Music, saying their response was a mess. He criticized their attempt to quickly remove content related to the situation, pointing out his own expertise in online content management and predicting their efforts would actually boost the content’s popularity, potentially making it go viral.
He and Josh hinted at the new track on Instagram on November 5th. When someone commented that they were avoiding tagging Zach, Brianna responded by saying they had all blocked him.
Zach announced his song “High Road” would be released on November 7, 2024, and shared an update on his work, seemingly without responding to anything Brianna had said.
He recently visited his mother’s gravesite in Tulsa for the first time in over a year, sharing the news on Instagram.
I recently had a really heartfelt conversation where I explained why I’m stepping away from touring. I shared that I’d been accepted into a master’s program in Paris next year, which is a dream come true! I also reminisced about my life lately – being back home in Oklahoma, my incredible friends in New York and all the amazing memories we’ve made together, from late-night adventures to the joy of playing music as a band for the past five years. I even talked about the little things, like the calluses I’ve earned playing guitar and the emotional journey we’ve all been on. Getting featured in Rolling Stone was a huge highlight, of course, but what truly matters is the simple, precious time I’ve spent with my sister, just sitting on the porch and enjoying each other’s company. It felt good to share all of that.
I wrote the chorus for this song a month or so ago, and finished it after realizing how much I have to be grateful for. It felt like the right time to share it with you all. Thanks to everyone who listened to ‘This World’s a Giant’ last night, and to those who’ve supported me through everything – you’ve helped me carry a lot. It feels like my past struggles, or ‘Quiet Dreams,’ became too much to bear, but I’m in a good place now and I’m here for anyone who’s hurting.
Brianna has alleged that her relationship with Zach was emotionally abusive.
Speaking on the November 7th, 2024 episode of BFFs, she shared with Dave and Josh that the past year had been the most difficult of her life, adding that she was still frightened when thinking about the abuse she experienced.
The 25-year-old said her brain had been “rewired” from being afraid to make her ex mad.
Brianna explained that he convinced her she was to blame for everything. He cut her off from her friends and family, and wouldn’t allow her to express herself. Ultimately, he eroded her self-esteem and made her dislike the things she once loved about herself.
Zach had “love bombed her,” she said, and she ignored multiple red flags.
It was okay for a while, about four months, but then… he just started chipping away at me. It was awful. He made me feel like he was the only thing I had left, and he just kept tearing me down, over and over. It was relentless, like he wouldn’t stop. Honestly, it was brutal.
During the show, Brianna claimed Zach’s team tried to buy her silence about their relationship with a $12 million offer, asking her to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Brianna explained she wasn’t refusing the money simply because it came from her ex, nor was she rejecting it just to have the freedom to reveal private information about him.
Brianna explained that she wouldn’t allow her experiences to be used to shield someone who had harmed her, stating, “I’m not giving up my story to protect someone who hurt me.”
TopMob News reached out to Zach for comment but has not heard back.
Okay, so after the latest episode aired, Dave took to social media and shared something really insightful. He basically said that while people might have their opinions about Bri, he thinks tonight proved she’s someone to be seriously respected. It’s a powerful statement, and I think a lot of viewers will agree!
After the episode aired on November 7, 2024, Brianna shared on Instagram that she felt confident in her choices. She explained that holding back some details was also the right move, implying viewers understood why.
Okay, seriously, reading her messages just destroyed me. It’s like, I wasn’t alone in feeling this way, so many people went through the same awful stuff. She gets it, she really gets it, and she promised to always speak up for all of us. It made me feel like if she can stand up to powerful people, then maybe I can finally deal with that awful guy back home. It’s only been two weeks, and she’s still trying to process everything that happened to her, but she wants to heal with us, alongside us. And honestly? The way she just kept saying ‘I love you’… it just felt so real and so needed. I’m completely obsessed with her now, she’s amazing.
A few hours later, she posted a video taken by someone in the audience at a Barstool Chicks in the Office tour stop. The video showed her performing “Smallest Man” and focused on the line, “How lucky is Bri to be free of ZB.”
Brianna denied that Dave offered her $10 million to spill her guts on the BFFs pod for…clicks?
In a TikTok posted on November 9, 2024, she claimed Dave hadn’t paid her anything. She dismissed the idea that she’d revealed much information, stating she’d acted with grace. Instead, she explained she’d subtly hinted at things, and if people didn’t understand her message, she wasn’t going to explain it further. She ended with a dismissive apology.
She added that she’s currently losing money, explaining she’s covering costs for storage, movers, and frequent flights to New York as she searches for an apartment.
Pointing to the tattoo on her arm that read “How lucky are we”—a lyric from Zach’s song “28”—she emphasized, “I got that tattoo first! It was my idea. Now that we both have it, that’s fine. I definitely won’t get it removed.”
Zach hadn’t publicly addressed Brianna’s claims of emotional abuse, and she believed she knew the reason. Although he remained silent on the matter, he did continue to post on social media, sometimes sharing content that seemed vaguely connected to the situation, and he temporarily disabled comments on his posts.
She believes he’s staying silent because responding would force him to admit something, and she’s prepared to share video and audio evidence if he does, as she explained on the November 13, 2024, episode of BFFs.
Honestly, his silence spoke volumes – it was absolutely deafening. It really showed me who he is as a person, confirming what I already suspected about his character.
Brianna added that she could have revealed more information immediately, but she wanted to give Zach a chance to tell the truth himself.
She said she never gives up on people. This was her last attempt to make him understand how his actions affect others and to encourage him to seek help.
Dave has heard enough.
The 47-year-old announced his departure from BFFs at the end of the year during the November 14, 2024 episode of The Unnamed Show. He explained that he found the show’s topics uninteresting, stating he was given them with no prior research and didn’t enjoy criticizing 18-year-olds he didn’t know. “I don’t love necessarily doing that,” he said.
He definitely lets you know when he’s having fun criticizing someone, and his conversations with Brianna and Josh are still lively and energetic.
He explained that Josh and Bri would be taking over, as the project had been very successful, but he felt it was time for him to move on to something new. He felt he’d done all he could with it.
Brianna revealed she rejected a romantic advance from someone she admired because she was already in a relationship with a man who proposed to her while also being unfaithful. She didn’t mention any names.
She revealed on TikTok, in a post from November 15, 2024, that a celebrity she has a crush on attempted to contact her a few months prior. She added that she turned them down because she was already in a relationship, and her boyfriend was cheating on her at the time, sharing the story while lip-syncing to Cardi B’s song ‘Be Careful’.
Brianna revealed in the comments that she discovered he’d been cheating on her throughout their relationship. She hilariously pointed out that he was even messaging other girls while he was proposing to her!
Brianna shared a TikTok video on November 17, 2024, showing herself with friends—including someone she’d mentioned as being from Australia—watching the sunrise in Brooklyn. She captioned it, ‘Sometimes all you need is a NYC sunrise. And some good pals,’ and set the video to Taylor Swift’s song ‘I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.’
I finally got approved for an apartment after weeks of searching in New York City,” she shared in a TikTok video posted on November 17, 2024. “I celebrated with a friend from Australia – we went to Central Park for drinks, and then we met up with other friends.
When someone commented that she responded quickly, Brianna explained that she was reacting to finding out she’d been cheated on throughout her entire relationship.
Okay, so I was scrolling through comments and saw someone asking if I’ll ever date again! It’s funny, because I just addressed a rumor about a new relationship in a recent video. Honestly, right now I’m really focused on my personal growth and I’m actually in pretty intensive therapy. That’s where my energy is going at the moment, and it feels good!
She explained that she’d previously mentioned in a video she was spending time with someone who was returning to Australia, and she didn’t expect to see him again. She then asked why she wasn’t allowed to enjoy herself and have a little fun.
And for now, Brianna—fresh from lightening her locks—is turning the tables.
She shared on TikTok on November 22, 2024, that she’s experiencing being single for the first time as an adult and absolutely loves it! She joked that she’s been enjoying dating and then ending things with men, especially those in traditionally male-dominated professions.
On January 9, 2025, Zach used his Instagram Story to complain that people were online harassing and insulting his friends.
I’m not looking for pity, but attacking my friends is just wrong and unfair. I’ve built a life I truly love through a lot of hard work. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of me or my success. Please stop harassing my friends online.
The singer of “Something in the Orange” didn’t respond directly to Briana’s claims about their relationship, but he did state he’s unbothered by false rumors spread about him online.
Zach responded to his critics, stating that attacking those he cares about is unacceptable and represents a point of no return. He affirmed that he’s made his position clear and remains proud and unbowed.
Brianna recently told Sports Illustrated that she’s starting to feel like herself again now that a particularly negative person is no longer in her life. The interview was published on January 15, 2025.
A few months later, she mentioned that women were now expressing romantic interest in her. She joked on her podcast in January that this might confirm she’s a lesbian – explaining that her past relationships with men hadn’t worked out because of it – but she also suggested it was something she could explore further down the line.
Brianna shared with Elite Daily in March that she felt a bit behind the curve and nervous about going on her first date with a woman. She joked, ‘I’m 25, and this is my first time? It feels like everyone in New York has already been there and done that!’
She was still in therapy and reminded herself that it had only been four months. She still had difficult days and was still dealing with PTSD, so she wasn’t sure how much longer the process would take.
Fans believed Zach and Brianna had resolved their issues, but Zach recently reignited the conflict. On August 4, 2025, he posted a video to Instagram showing him burning a flag from Barstool Sports.
I was completely captivated by the new clip, and the song they chose, “Bitin’ List” by Tyler Childers, just made it. Honestly, the lyrics are so raw – he sings, “To put it plain, I just don’t like you, not a thing about the way you are,” and it’s just powerfully honest.
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2026-01-04 00:49