Brianna LaPaglia Fires Back After Her Latest Look Sparks Unwarranted Criticism

LaPaglia refuses to let anyone—especially an Instagram troll—dim her light.

Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Gougen at The Austin Estate. Swimsuit by netta. / Katherine Gougen/Sports Illustrated

Brianna LaPaglia isn’t allowing anybody to rain on her parade, especially internet trolls who have nothing positive to say. The January 2025 SI Swimsuit digital cover star recently clapped back at an Instagram commenter who made unwarranted comments about her body.

One of LaPaglia’s latest Instagram posts sees her wearing a super dreamy pearl-white slip dress. The skirt of the garment is lacy and soft, stopping just before her knees. For this look, she alternates between her brunette hair down and tied back into a messy bun. Both choices are stellar and make the entire ensemble utterly gorgeous.

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Despite looking like she fell straight out of heaven, haters still found a way to try to make it about them. One commenter wrote, “to[o] skinny” underneath her photos, to which LaPaglia replied, writing, “wouldn’t touch you with a 10ft pole.”

With one simple statement, she not only sets a crucial boundary but also lets people know that her primary goal is not to be seen as desirable to anyone but herself. After all, it’s about what makes her happy and in her own skin.

The 26-year-old podcast host has touched on instances when she feels like she’s really come into her own. One example, in particular, includes the set of her SI Swimsuit photo shoot in La Quinta, Calif., where she felt empowered and “sexy.”

“It means so much more to me than feeling sexy and being in a cool location,” LaPaglia told SI Swimsuit of her digital cover moment. “I’m allowed to do what I want to do, I’m allowed to do it in any fashion, in any amount of clothes, in front of whoever I want and no one has the control over you to tell you what you can and cannot do. And to me, this isn’t just like, ‘Check it off the bucket list, that was really cool.’ This is, like, reclaiming myself and that’s what this all means to me.”

The internet personality also touched on how being surrounded by women and other supportive people on set made the experience more incredible. As a result, she was able to feel good in her skin, and she looks back fondly on her time with the brand.

“There’s been so much going on in my life for the past year and a half, and to be on a set of mainly all f---ing badass b------, all women, felt so uplifting and so understanding. It wasn’t even about feeling hot. It was, like, I felt like me. I just felt confident. I felt like it was so awesome and I haven’t felt like that in a long time,” she expressed in a vlog.

With LaPaglia’s foundation firm in reclaiming herself and taking control of her self-perception, she’s not going to let anyone bring her down.

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