Birthday Girl Brianna LaPaglia Brings the Heat in These 6 SI Swimsuit Photos

When Brianna LaPaglia posed for the cover of our January 2025 digital issue, the content creator and podcast host traveled to La Quinta, Calif., to be photographed by Katherine Goguen. And though the desert setting was scorching, the resulting images from LaPaglia’s time on set were just as sizzling.

Today, Wednesday, June 17, is LaPaglia’s birthday, and in honor of the Plan Bri Uncut host’s special day, we’re taking a look back at her time on the SI Swimsuit set. At the time of her photo shoot, LaPaglia had recently gone through a very public and painful breakup, and she expressed that posing for the SI Swimsuit Issue digital cover helped her to reclaim her body and voice.

“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 stated at the time. “This cover is me being me again and taking control of my life. This is my body; my body isn’t that experience, and even though I’m not 100% in it right now, this is me. This doesn’t have anything to do with anybody else.”

During the period of healing that followed her breakup, LaPaglia, 27, also found community through her online following—which today, consists of more than 3.6 million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined.

“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,” LaPaglia added. “I know posting silly stuff and having fun videos for people to watch is also helpful, and it helps people get out of the reality, but to actually change lives with coming forward and being able to give people a shoulder to lean on, or a person to cry to, it’s just out of this world.”

Today, LaPaglia continues to thrive as a content creator and podcaster, taking her fans along for the ride on everything from her travels overseas to fashionable moments at red carpet events and music festivals alike. Below, take a look back at just a few of our favorite snapshots from the BFFs podcast cohost’s SI Swimsuit photo shoot.

Brianna LaPaglia is wearing a light rose pink bikini at The Austin Estate. — Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Goguen at The Austin Estate. Swimsuit by SAME Los Angeles. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Brianna LaPaglia is wearing a brown bikini with a brown beaded top at The Austin Estate. — Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Goguen at The Austin Estate. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. Top by Andres Otalora. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Goguen at The Austin Estate. Swimsuit by Christopher Esber. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Brianna LaPaglia was photographed for SI Swimsuit in a black bikini. — Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Goguen at The Austin Estate. Swimsuit by PatBO. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Goguen. — Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Goguen at The Austin Estate in La Quinta, California. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

More SwimNews from SI Swimsuit