This story contains discussion of emotional abuse.
ICYMI, Zach Bryan and Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia broke up last October after a year of dating.
The country superstar first revealed the split on his IG story at the time. “Brianna and me have broken up with each other and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart,” he wrote. “She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that I’ll always thank her.”
Brianna posted her own statement to her IG story soon thereafter, with the podcaster claiming that she was “blindsided” by Zach’s announcement.
In an episode of her BFFs podcast that aired the following month, Brianna alleged that she faced “narcissistic, emotional abuse” in her relationship with Zach — and that he and his team allegedly offered her a $12-million NDA to not discuss their relationship publicly.
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“He manipulated the fuck out of me,” she said. “I don’t expect people to understand emotional abuse if you haven’t been through it, and I hope you never have to go through, but if you’ve been there, you know what I’m talking about. It was just this constant cycle of, ‘Built you up, beat you down, apologize,’ over and over and over.”
On Thursday, Jan. 9, Zach broke his silence for the first time since Brianna’s claims in a statement posted to his IG story (via E! News), speaking out against “couch warriors attacking and belittling my friends.”
“Everyone wonders why I quit touring and don’t want to be attached to music anymore,” he wrote. “Meanwhile you’re calling my friends ugly and harassing them?”
Zach went on to say that he wasn’t “asking for sympathy,” but that “going for my -friends- is so low and so messed up.”
“No matter how bad of a person you think I am, go ahead and come for me,” he also stated. “I can take all the hatred because I’m not a child. But do not come for my friends who do nothing but love and care for me.”
“I love my life. I have worked REALLY hard for it. Whether you think I deserve it or not. Whether you think I suck or not. Stop being such sad fat fingered internet sleuths to my friends. We’re all humans and I’m so tired of people thinking social media is a way to have a moral high ground on people THEYVE never met?”
Zach also went on to say that he was “unphased by the fake shit people say about me online.”
“Coming for people I love and care for is my line and final straw,” he wrote. “I’ve said what I needed to say. My chest is still out and heads are still held high.”
We’ll let you know if Brianna has anything to say in response.
