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Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia’s memorable name is one that you might not have been familiar with until last year.

The Barstool Sports personality has long enjoyed a huge following on social media, but she reached a new level of fame in 2024 thanks to increased scrutiny of her personal life.

In a sad turn of events, Brianna got dumped by Zach Bryan after just over a year of dating.

And to hear Ms. Chickenry tell it, the country star was not nice about it when he cut her loose.

Brianna LaPaglia’s Painful Year

In fact, she claims that Byran blindsided her in brutal fashion.

“I just woke up to Zach posting on his Instagram that we broke up, and I had no idea that post was going up,” said ins LaPaglia said in a YouTube video (via Page Six).

“He didn’t text me, he didn’t call me.”

Obviously, that’s beyond harsh, and Bryan deservedly took a ton of flak for the way he handled the situation.

Brianna later accused Zach of emotional abuse, and she says she’s still not completely over their split. But tfor all her suffering, there’s no doubt that Bri came out victorious in this breakup.

A New Chapter

Yes, as she announced on Instagram today, Brianna has been selected as the cover model for the digital edit of the 2025 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

“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,” LaPaglia said of the shoot.

“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,” she continued.

“[The photo shoot] is just, on a petty level, my favorite f–k you. This is me, and I wanted to do this, and now I’m on the digital cover.”

The Birth of a Swiftie

Brianna’s mental health might be on the upswing these days, but she’s not sugarcoating the pain that she endured last year.

Fortunately, it seems she was able to find solace in a healthy coping mechanism that’s worked for millions of other victims of heartbreak

Yes, elsewhere in her SI interview, LaPaglia explains that the split from Bryan gave her a new appreciation for the music of Taylor Swift.

“It’s unfortunate that it took this circumstance to get to be a Swiftie,” Brianna said, adding that she is “very grateful that I have found Taylor”

She explained that she even has lyrics from the Taylor song “I Hate It Here” tattooed on her arm.

That might have been an additional “eff you” to her ex as Bryan incurred the ire of Swifties when he posted negative tweets about the pop icon last year.

As the editors of SI note, Bri passed up a lucrative non-disclosure deal so that she could retain the freedom to tell her story to the world:

“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,” the magazine reports.

“She refused to accept it, and instead began to speak up about the relationship, which she says was controlling and emotionally abusive.”

As her star continues to rise, it’s clear that Brianna made the right decision.

And a growing army of fans can’t wait to see what her future holds.