This might be the best post-relationship revenge I've ever seen.
Today, it was announced that Brianna LaPaglia, AKA Brianna Chickenfry, who famously dated, and went through a very public breakup with country music star Zach Bryan, is the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Digital Cover Model for the month of January.
Of course, there was a big story that made headlines during her tell-all BFF's podcast episode that her ex-boyfriend did not approve of the dress she wore to the Golden Globes in 2024, though he shared the photo on his own Instagram stories complimenting her, but behind closed doors, he allegedly berated her for the look. The dress sparked a massive fight and Zach unfollowed her on social media.
All that to say, Brianna did not hold back during her appearance at the Golden Globes this year when she wore a dress even more revealing than the first, and doing the SI cover is another opportunity to "reclaim herself" and wear how much, or how little, she wants.
Brianna shared in part of a social media clip that SI posted on their Instagram she sees the cover as more than just a "bucket list" item to check off:
"It means so much more to me than, like, feeling sexy, being in a cool location... like, 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. To me, it 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."
I think it's pretty obvious what she means if you read between the lines a little bit...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DE2OR28BwIJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=9760ab64-599a-4d76-ad4f-f6bd06c97793
Safe to say 2025 is off to a helluva start for Chickenfry... surely she'll make sure ZB gets a copy, too, right? Maybe she's not as petty as I would be, though...
Actually, Bryan has been pretty quiet in terms of his side of the breakup, only recently posting a slew of stories on his Instagram asking people to stop harassing his female friends on social media and saying that he's not dating any of them.
No matter what bad blood exists between the two of them, Brianna's star continues to grow in the wake of their relationship. I guess that's what happens when you date a famous musician of his caliber...
"Brianna LaPaglia is determined to make 2025 her year. The 25-year-old content creator, who is best known for her raw, uncut podcasts through the Barstool Sports network, PlanBri Uncut and BFFs, went through an incredibly public breakup last fall. Notably, LaPaglia was offered $12 million and an apartment in New York by her ex, in exchange for her silence regarding anything that happened during their time together. She refused to accept it, and instead began to speak up about the relationship, which she says was controlling and emotionally abusive.Since then, she’s been rebuilding, and has not shied away from sharing her experience in the hopes of helping others. 'This [Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover] is like a success thing for me in my personal journey of just getting back to who I was and who I am.'"
You can view the cover shot here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DE2ivFsxhC5/
