Who is Brianna Chickenfry? 5 things to know about the Barstool podcast sensation

Brianna Chickenfry has taken social media by storm.

The internet personality, who was born Brianna LaPaglia, has made a name for herself over the years thanks to her highly popular Barstool Sports podcasts. She launched further into stardom after entering into a year-long relationship with country music singer Zach Bryan.

Learn more about LaPaglia’s background and what she’s up to these days below.

1. She’s a Massachusetts native

Brianna Chickenfry, aka Brianna LaPaglia, was famous long before she dated Zach Bryan. briannalapaglia/Instagram LaPaglia, seen here in 2024, is from Boston. briannalapaglia/Instagram The podcaster, shown above in 2024, hails from the same state as her boss, Dave Portnoy. Getty Images

LaPaglia hails from Boston.

Her home state happens to be where her current boss and podcast co-host, Dave Portnoy, is also from, as he grew up in Swampscott, Mass.

In 2013, Portnoy even launched a campaign to become the mayor of Boston, though he was ultimately unable to submit enough nomination signatures to qualify for the ballot.

2. She is a college dropout

LaPaglia, seen here in 2021, dropped out of college during her sophomore year to work full-time at Barstool Sports. Stephen Yang She chose to work for the sports media company over the medical field. Stephen Yang

LaPaglia attended Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio for less than two years.

She was a pre-med student at the private college when she caught the attention of Barstool and was offered an internship that eventually became a full-time gig.

“Barstool DMed me one day, and I’m from Boston, so Barstool’s, like, Mecca in Boston. It’s like, Dave Portnoy’s God where I’m from,” she shared on the “Ugh It’s Joe” YouTube channel in December 2023. “So I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so scary.'”

LaPaglia, shown above in 2024, was offered an internship with Barstool when she was still a student. bbriannalapaglia/Instagram “I was pre-med. I gotta pick. If I’m gonna ruin my career online, I can’t be a doctor if I’m, like, drunk online. So I was like, kinda gotta pick one of the two. And I dropped out, and it worked,” she previously shared. Instagram/@briannalapaglia

“And they DMed me to come into New York, and I went into the office. I got drunk before because I was so nervous. And they gave me an internship while I was at school,” she continued.

LaPaglia ultimately dropped out of college during her sophomore year to work full-time at Barstool.

“I was pre-med. I gotta pick. If I’m gonna ruin my career online, I can’t be a doctor if I’m, like, drunk online,” she shared. “So I was like, kinda gotta pick one of the two. And I dropped out, and it worked.”

3. She hosts two Barstool Sports podcasts

LaPaglia co-hosts the “BFFs” podcast with Dave Portnoy (right) and Josh Richards (left). bffspod/Instagram She also hosts “PlanBri Uncut” with her friend Grace O’Malley, seen here in 2024. NBC via Getty Images

LaPaglia hosts two beloved podcasts with Portnoy’s popular sports media company.

She launched her own Barstool Sports podcast, “PlanBri Uncut,” in July 2020 in which she discusses the ups and downs of her 20s.

Her best friend, stand-up comedian Grace O’Malley, joined as her co-host of the show in April 2022.

LaPaglia initially launched her “PlanBri Uncut” podcast solo in 2020. TikTok/@bffspod O’Malley joined her ranks in 2022. Brianna LaPaglia/Instagram

LaPaglia also co-hosts Barstool’s “BFFs” podcast, which launched in October 2020, alongside Portnoy and TikTok star Josh Richards.

The podcast is available on all streaming services, though Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music.

The trio discusses pop culture events and interviews celebrities and public figures such as Tana Mongeau, Lil Yachty, Hannah Berner and more.

4. She has a nickname with a story

LaPaglia’s Chickenfry nickname was born due to a viral Vine she posted. BFFs Podcast She then used the name in all of her social media handles. briannalapaglia/Instagram

LaPaglia’s nickname, Brianna Chickenfry, has an interesting backstory.

The silly moniker was born thanks to an old video on Vine in which LaPaglia compared her legs to Burger King’s Chicken Fries menu item.

“And then it went viral, and I’m like, I’m gonna stick with the Chickenfry name. So that’s why I made my TikTok name that,” she shared on “Ugh It’s Joe.”

5. She dated Zach Bryan

LaPaglia confirmed she and Zach Bryan were dating in July 2023. briannalapaglia/Instagram She initially called their relationship “fun and casual.” briannalapaglia/Instagram

LaPaglia confirmed she was dating Bryan on her “PlanBri Uncut” podcast in July 2023.

She told her listeners that their romance was “fun and casual” and that they had been “hanging out” for about three weeks.

Their relationship became more serious by the time they made their red carpet debut at the Grammys in February 2024.

The couple showed PDA on the red carpet at the 2024 Grammys. Billboard via Getty Images Bryan, seen here in 2024 with LaPaglia, “blindsided” his ex by announcing their breakup. briannalapaglia/Instagram

The “Something in the Orange” artist then declared his strong feelings for LaPaglia on their first anniversary, gushing on Instagram in July 2024: “I love you so much Brianna. Just about one of the only people that makes me laugh anymore and OFTEN. Proud to call you my girl.”

However, by October 2024, Bryan confirmed in a social media statement that they had called things off.

At the time, he said that it was “beneficial for both of [them] to go [their] different ways” due to “an incredibly hard year personally.”

LaPaglia detailed their tumultuous relationship on “BFFs” in 2024. BFFs Podcast She also accused Bryan of being emotionally abusive. briannalapaglia/Instagram

LaPaglia, for her part, said she was “blindsided” by her ex’s decision to publicly announce their breakup and later accused him of being emotionally abusive.

She also claimed Bryan offered her $12 million if she signed a nondisclosure agreement that would ban her from discussing their relationship or breakup.

The musician replied to the accusations by posting a cryptic quote that read, “I didn’t know what to say. I felt like crying, Goddammit everybody in the world wants an explanation for your acts and for your very being.”