Brianna Chickenfry: From Viral Vine to Barstool Star and Beyond
Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia’s story is one of the most chaotic mixes of humor, heartbreak, and hard work that has ever happened on the internet. The Boston-born podcaster, social media star, and Barstool Sports favorite has millions of followers on all of her platforms at only 26 years old. She turned a silly Vine video into a full-time job. But her journey hasn’t been all fun and viral videos. There have been personal victories, harsh public criticism, and a high-profile romance that ended in one of 2024’s most talked-about celebrity breakups. Chickenfry is still a controversial figure: some people see her as a relatable everywoman, while others see her as a lightning rod for controversy.
The Story Behind “Chickenfry”: A Leg and a Legacy
As a teenager from Rockland, Massachusetts, Brianna LaPaglia entered the digital world in the middle of the 2010s by posting funny videos on Vine, a short-form video app that was popular before TikTok. Her big break came in a now-famous video in which she joked that her skinny leg looked like a Burger King Chicken Fry. She said, “My leg looks like a chicken fry.” The video went viral, getting millions of views and making her nickname, Brianna Chickenfry, stick.
Brianna was born on June 17, 1999, to Wayne LaPaglia and Joyce Donahue. She grew up in a working-class family with three half-sisters—Brooke, Justine, and Valerie—from her father’s first marriage. Her parents had to work a lot of jobs, so Brianna had to take care of herself after school, often alone until late at night. She has been honest about her family’s problems, such as her sisters’ problems with drugs and abusive relationships, and even her own problems with the law as a teenager, such as being arrested for drinking underage, DUI, driving with a suspended license, and shoplifting. These stories, which she tells on her podcast, show how people can be strong when things get tough.
LaPaglia went to Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio to study public health after graduating from Rockland High School. But her new online goals didn’t fit in with her college life. Barstool Sports, a media empire known for its irreverent sports and lifestyle content, slid into her DMs in 2020, when she was a sophomore. She nervously (and tipsily for courage) went to their New York office and got an internship. It changed everything. Barstool quickly made her a full-time employee, and she quit school to take the job, signing a $75,000 contract that started her professional life.
Barstool: Podcasts and Personality: How to Build an Empire
Barstool was Chickenfry’s launch pad. She co-hosts BFFs with other Barstool personalities, where they talk about pop culture, relationships, and internet drama in an unfiltered way. PlanBri Uncut, her solo show, goes deeper into personal stories, like how to get over a hangover and how to deal with mental health issues. Barstools What? Your Damn is another project that adds to her audio portfolio. These sites have grown her fan base: she has over 1.3 million Instagram followers, millions on TikTok, and more than 113,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), where she posts under the name @Bchickenfry with the bio, “Just trying to figure my shit out, sleep when you’re dead.”
Her content is based on being real, with chaotic, self-deprecating humor that Gen Z and millennials can relate to. She has supported brands like Pirate Water and shared modeling photos, mixing the lifestyle influencer vibe with Barstool’s bro-ish edge. But fame’s double-edged sword struck early: a snark subreddit with more than 30,000 members, r/briannachickenfrsnark, picks apart every post she makes, from what she wears to what she thinks are slights. She had the guts to invite her critics to BFFs for a face-to-face (or voice-to-voice) showdown, but anonymity kept things hot but safe.
The Zach Bryan Whirlwind: Love, Fame, and Fallout
When Chickenfry met country music star Zach Bryan at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2023, her profile skyrocketed. They had both just gotten out of other relationships, but by July, their flirting had turned into love. What started as a fan photo op—her asking for a picture with the “Something in the Orange” singer—turned into a whirlwind romance. They made their relationship official on Instagram, went to the 2024 Grammys together, and shared pictures of their passionate but rocky relationship.
On October 22, 2024, Bryan posted on Instagram Story that they were breaking up, saying it had been “an incredibly hard year personally” and that they needed to “go our different ways.” In tears, Chickenfry called it a “blindside” on her YouTube channel PlanBri Uncut. In later episodes of BFFs and interviews, she made shocking claims of emotional abuse, like screaming fits, love-bombing, breaking her phone, and controlling her social media posts. She said he went crazy when she sang a song by another male artist, which led to a week-long fight. She also said he had relationships with other women before hers started, which fueled rumors of “cheating.”
The drama reached its peak when she said that Bryan had offered her $12 million (later clarified as $12.9 million) and a New York apartment to sign an NDA and keep quiet. She said no, choosing honesty over money. “I lost sight of myself and just didn’t want to be here anymore,” she said on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, breaking down about wanting to kill herself because of the toxic environment. Her weight dropped by almost 20 pounds because she was so anxious that she couldn’t eat. In a viral TikTok, she showed off her “chicken fry” leg, which was even thinner than before.
People’s reactions were very different. Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool, made a diss track about Bryan that was inspired by Taylor Swift. Fans praised Chickenfry for being brave. Some people on X supported her by saying things like, “Turning down $12 million to speak her truth is a power move,” while others called her a “compulsive liar” or brought up old college incidents (alleged racist slurs and a restraining order). Bryan’s recent song teaser “Bad News,” which was against ICE, made conservative fans angry, which made the couple’s online arguments even worse.
The Cost of Being Seen and Controversies
Chickenfry’s honesty has gotten him in trouble. There were rumors of fights, like the fallout from a brand trip with influencer Ken Eurich, who made fun of an unnamed “influencer” (widely thought to be her) on a podcast. Her breakup with best friend Grace O’Malley, who co-hosted BFFs, hurt even more because people were saying she had betrayed her. Fans said Chickenfry had ghosted during her Bryan era. Grace’s recent X updates suggest that they might be able to work things out, but the fight showed how fragile public friendships can be.
There were also old skeletons that came back to life. Clips of her edgy humor from before she became famous (like “plap plap cunny”) led to doxxing and cruel attacks, including making fun of her mother’s suicide. After Bryan, critics question her “personality,” with one viral thread asking, “Does she have her own?” after she talked about his Meta glasses antics. But she’s fought back by inviting Reddit trolls on the air and embracing her “Reputation era” with snake patterns.
Life After the Storm: Being Strong and Starting Over
Chickenfry is taking back her story almost a year after the breakup. On Special Forces, she talked about how the abuse affected her, making her stronger but leaving her with scars. For now, she’s done with men. She said, “I want a normal person who gets my life but isn’t in it.” She even thought about dating women. Her dog Boston is still her best friend, and ski trips bring her back to happiness.
Her finances are doing well; her net worth is estimated to be in the seven figures from podcasts, sponsorships, and Barstool perks. But Chickenfry’s voice is what really matters. By turning down the money and telling her story, she has inspired many women to choose truth over silence. In a 2025 interview, she said, “I was in a bad place… but no one knew.” I go with a smile.
While X is buzzing about her latest Special Forces appearance, in which she talked about the $12.9 million offer, Chickenfry shows the highs and lows of internet fame. Whether you love her or hate her, she is Chickenfry: skinny legs, a big heart, and no filter. In a world that loves drama, she’s the one who is still standing and posting about it.