Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia Responds After Zach Bryan Burns Barstool Flag
Zach Bryan’s Fiery Post
On Monday, country singer Zach Bryan stirred fresh controversy when he shared a video to his Instagram Stories showing himself setting fire to a Barstool Sports flag. The move raised eyebrows since Barstool Sports is the media company behind Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia’s popular podcast, BFFs.
LaPaglia’s Response: “Nurse He’s Loose Again”
It didn’t take long for LaPaglia to seemingly respond. The influencer, 26, posted a selfie on her Instagram Stories, making a surprised face with the caption:
“Nurse he’s loose again 😂😭”
She followed that with a screenshot of a web search reading: “how do i file a restraining order.” The timing of the posts left little doubt that her message was directed at her ex.
Barstool Founder Joins In
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy also weighed in. He reposted Bryan’s video with a tongue-in-cheek caption:
“Oh no. How are we gonna recover?”
His remark added fuel to the already viral moment, poking fun at the situation while standing behind LaPaglia.
A Relationship in the Spotlight
Bryan and LaPaglia went public with their relationship in July 2023 after months of speculation. Over the next year, they appeared together frequently, including making their red carpet debut at the 2024 Grammys.
By October 2024, however, things came crashing down. Bryan announced their split in an Instagram post, writing:
“I have had an incredibly hard year personally and struggled through some pretty severe things. I thought it would be beneficial for both of us to go our different ways.”
LaPaglia later said she felt “really blindsided” by the breakup.
Abuse Allegations
Weeks after the split, LaPaglia opened up further on her BFFs podcast, accusing Bryan of emotional abuse.
“The last year of my life has been the hardest year of my life dealing with the abuse from this dude,” she said. “I’m still scared right now because I’m scared of him. My brain’s rewired and I’m scared to make him mad.”
Bryan has never publicly addressed these allegations, and his representatives did not respond to media requests for comment.
Reclaiming Her Narrative
In January, LaPaglia took another step in reclaiming her independence when she posed for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. She revealed that during her relationship with Bryan, she declined an invitation to the magazine’s 60th-anniversary celebration at his insistence.
“This cover is me being me again and taking control of my life,” she explained. “This is my body; my body isn’t that experience. Even though I’m not 100% in it right now, this is me. This doesn’t have anything to do with anybody else.”
She added that the photoshoot served as her favorite kind of petty payback:
“On a petty level, my favorite f— you.”
A Timeline of Clashes
The latest Barstool flag-burning incident is just one moment in a long timeline of messy back-and-forth between Bryan and LaPaglia since their October 2024 breakup. From social media jabs to public allegations, their feud continues to make headlines — and shows little sign of slowing down.