Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, 25, has opened up about her relationship with country music star Zach Bryan, 29, accusing him of emotional abuse during their time together. Speaking on the BFFs Podcast on Thursday, November 7, LaPaglia revealed her struggles with Bryan’s behavior and the impact it had on her life.
Emotional Abuse Allegations and Fear of Retaliation
LaPaglia shared that the past year of her life has been the most difficult, highlighting the emotional abuse she endured during her relationship with Bryan. “The last year of my life has been the hardest year of my life dealing with the abuse from this dude,” she stated, expressing how she still feels fear regarding Bryan. “I’m still scared right now because I’m scared of him,” she continued. “My brain’s rewired and I’m scared to make him mad and last week, I didn’t want to talk about it ’cause I was scared.”
NDAs and Manipulation Claims
In addition to her emotional abuse accusations, LaPaglia alleged that Bryan had women sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to prevent them from discussing their experiences with him. She claimed that Bryan manipulated his exes into accepting money and signing away their stories, effectively silencing them. “You made the women before me believe that they had no other choice but to take money from you,” LaPaglia said. “[They] signed their experiences and what they went through away so you get to go skip off and sing your little f— songs on stage like you’re a good dude.”
Standing Up for Survivors of Emotional Abuse
LaPaglia emphasized that her decision to speak out was not for drama, but to give a voice to others who have experienced emotional abuse. She explained, “It’s for anyone that don’t have a support system that I luckily had going through this.” LaPaglia made it clear that she wasn’t speaking out for revenge, but to reclaim her power. “This isn’t me not signing the NDA or not taking the money because I wanna get on here and expose who he is… I’m not signing away my experiences and what I went through to protect someone that hurt me.”
Bryan and LaPaglia’s Breakup
Bryan confirmed their breakup in an Instagram post on October 22, requesting privacy for both of them. He acknowledged LaPaglia’s unconditional love, stating, “She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that I’ll always thank her.” Despite his statement, LaPaglia expressed feeling “blindsided” by the breakup, revealing her plans to take a break from social media to heal privately. “When I’m ready I’ll be back and ready to talk,” she wrote in an Instagram story.
A Call for Strength and Healing
In her podcast appearance, LaPaglia also shared a message of hope for others who are experiencing similar struggles, stating, “Remember you are so loved and everything’s always gonna be okay.”
This developing story sheds light on serious allegations, with LaPaglia courageously sharing her experience to raise awareness and support others in similar situations. Both LaPaglia and Bryan’s representatives have yet to comment publicly on the accusations.
Stay tuned for more updates as the story continues to unfold.