Brianna LaPaglia Opens Up About Zach Bryan Relationship in Sports Illustrated Feature

NEW YORK — Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, the 25-year-old podcast host and social media influencer, has made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut on the cover of the January digital issue. In a candid interview, LaPaglia opened up about her tumultuous relationship with country music star Zach Bryan, describing it as emotionally abusive and revealing how she is reclaiming her life after their breakup.

LaPaglia and Bryan began dating in the summer of 2023 and broke up last fall. She claims that Bryan’s team pressured her to sign a nondisclosure agreement after their split. “It is just, on a petty level, my favorite f— you,” LaPaglia told Sports Illustrated about her decision to pose for the magazine. “This is me, and I wanted to do this, and now I’m on the digital cover.”

The influencer has been vocal about the challenges she faced during her relationship with Bryan, which she said led to her feeling diminished. “When I walk into a room, I want to talk to everyone,” she explained. “When the relationship first started, that became a problem for him; I was talking too much, or I was being too much, and maybe the spotlight was not on him enough.”

LaPaglia also revealed that she was supposed to host the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue’s 60th anniversary red carpet last year but backed out after Bryan told her it would be “trashy.” Now, she sees her cover feature as a form of empowerment. “It’s a lot more than me looking quote-unquote hot in a swimsuit—it’s me reclaiming who I am as a woman, reclaiming my body and my decisions and my choices,” she said.

Since speaking out about her experiences, LaPaglia has received an outpouring of support from women who have shared their own stories of emotional abuse. “During the hardest time of my life, it’s probably been one of the most rewarding things that has ever happened to me, to be able to help people in a way that I feel is a lot more meaningful than what my old content was,” she said.

Despite the backlash from some social media users who accuse her of seeking publicity, LaPaglia remains focused on her personal growth. “I’m finally talking to my hairdresser again, where I used to just sit in the chair,” she said. “I’m finding that little spark of life back in myself now that one person that felt like a doom cloud over me at all times is gone.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Zach Bryan for comment.