Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia says her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover is a big “f*** you” to her ex-boyfriend, Zach Bryan.
The 25-year-old PlanBri Uncut podcast host graces the cover of the January digital issue and she reveals that it comes after SI asked her to host the red carpet at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue last May.
Bryan talked her out of it, telling her it was “trashy” and “off-brand for her.”
The country superstar then blindsided the Barstool Sports personality in October when he announced their breakup in a viral post shared to his Instagram Stories.
But when the magazine came calling again, LaPaglia wasn’t going to say no.
“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 says. “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.”
LaPaglia also said there was a bit of pettiness in taking part in the scintillating shoot.
“It is just, on a petty level, my favourite f— you,” she tells SI in a profile titled, Brianna LaPaglia Is Not Asking for Anyone’s Permission. “This is me, and I wanted to do this, and now I’m on the digital cover.”
After their breakup, LaPaglia claimed Bryan offered her $12 million if she agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement swearing to not talk about their relationship or breakup.
“After everything was done, I was approached by (Bryan’s) team and I was offered a lot of money, a big lump sum of money and a few options,” she told co-hosts Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards on an episode of their BFFs podcast in November.
LaPaglia said if she kept quiet about her relationship with Bryan she would have received “the money over the course of three years.”
“They would’ve been monitoring everything that I do,” she said. “I thought about it for a second and I think they tend to forget, I started to forget, that I was someone, I was established, I was successful, before (Bryan).”
The internet personality said that she was determined “to be someone” after their split and not let their messy breakup be a defining moment for her.
“Maybe I’m not going to be selling out stadiums and f***ing making hundreds of millions of dollars,” she said, referring to Bryan’s wildly successful musical career. “I’m all right where I’m at and I don’t want blood money. I don’t think you can pay people off that you hurt (and expect) for them to protect you … offering millions of dollars to this apparent beautiful relationship (and) keep it a secret, speaks volumes.”
LaPaglia said it was “f***ed up” that Bryan tried to buy her silence.
“I did not accept any money. I will not accept any money. I think it’s beneath me … It was never about the money, I was with the dude because I loved the dude,” she said.
Portnoy said he advised her to take Bryan’s cash and she admitted that she wrestled with her decision.
“It was a moral battle … You look at my family, who obviously doesn’t have money and comes from nothing and they’re like, ‘Take the money,’” she said.
LaPaglia added: “This episode of me not taking the money, like, it’s not just for me. It’s for anyone else that’s been emotionally abused. It’s for people right now that are being emotionally abused. It’s for people that don’t have a support system that I was luckily enough to have going through this.”
When Bryan announced his split from LaPaglia, he wrote in a social media post: ” I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart. She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that I’ll always thank her.”
In her interview with SI, LaPaglia said she has come to see herself as a spokeswoman for people going through emotional abuse in their relationships.
“During the hardest time of my life, it’s probably been one of the most rewarding things that has ever happened to me, to be able to help people in a way that I feel is a lot more meaningful than what my old content was,” LaPaglia said. “I know posting silly stuff and having fun videos for people to watch is also helpful, and it helps people get out of the reality, but to actually change lives with coming forward and being able to give people a shoulder to lean on, or a person to cry to, it’s just out of this world.”