Brianna LaPaglia Reveals the Harsh Reality of Going Through Zach Bryan Split in the Public Eye

The 25-year-old internet personality opened up on her highly-publicized breakup while on set with SI Swimsuit.

Brianna LaPaglia was photographed by Katherine Goguen at The Austin Estate. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. Top by Andres Otalora. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Since becoming famous on social media through her online presence with Barstool Sports, Brianna LaPaglia has lived some of her biggest moments in the public eye. The Massachusetts native, who serves as SI Swimsuit’s January digital cover star, started at the sports media company as an intern and soon became an employee as her internet notoriety began to rise. Through two different Barstool podcasts, BFFs and PlanBri Uncut, the 25-year-old has charmed audiences with her authenticity and vulnerability.

But of course, being open on the internet comes with its downsides—especially when going through something traumatic. In November 2024, LaPaglia came out to accuse her ex-boyfriend, country singer Zach Bryan, of emotional abuse. The two had been together for over a year when Bryan, 28, blindsided the content creator by announcing their split on social media. Since sharing her story on the BFFs podcast, Hot Mess With Alix Earle and with SI Swimsuit, LaPaglia has received unfair backlash, while also hearing from fans who had, unfortunately, experienced similar situations.

During her sit-down interview with SI Swimsuit, which was released on Jan. 16, LaPaglia got real on the reality of going through such a painful breakup for the whole world to see—and weigh in on.

“Of course, there are moments where I just want to throw my phone at a wall and never talk online again, because sometimes it feels like everything you say or do is the wrong thing,” she said. “Even if you have the most positive message, you’re still going to get a negative headline. There could be 10 billion people in the world trying to tear me down, and I’m still going to be here. I’m going through real life emotions in front of everyone. But you can’t, like, put a genie back in a bottle. So I wish a lot of things could have just been kept private, but they weren’t.”

Fortunately, being able to connect with her fans helped her quiet down the negative voices and focus on the positive.

“Healing out loud, hearing stories from other women that went through this helped me in ways, and I say it every time I talk about it. I’m helping people a lot, but they’re helping me just as much,” LaPaglia continued. “It’s validating. It just feels like such a strong bond that I have with people that I don’t even know, and without those people, I don’t think I would be doing a Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] cover. I would still be in bed. I would still be on the ground, like I would still be confused. So without healing out loud and getting to talk to people that have gone through it and like being heard, I would probably be in a hole somewhere.”

The SI Swimsuit digital cover has served as a source of empowerment for LaPaglia, who feels like she’s “reclaiming” herself after the breakup. Since the launch, her fans and fellow celebrities have rallied around her as she’s shared more details about her relationship with Bryan. “THE ONLY CHOICE 🔥🔥🔥 @briannalapaglia looking iconic and showing women it’s never too late to choose themselves 🫶,” DIY artist @buildwithjords commented on the IG announcement.

LaPaglia put her undeniable beauty—inside and out—on full display while on set with SI Swimsuit at The Austin Estate in La Quinta, Calif., where she was photographed by Katherine Goguen.