Zach Bryan seemingly surprises Brianna Chickenfry with his separation announcement

Zach Bryan has confirmed that he and Barstool Sports are a personality Brianna La Paglia (aka Brianna Chickenfry) have broken up after a year of dating.

“I want to address something: Brianna and I have separated (SIC) and I respect and love her with all my heart,” Bryan, 28, shared in an Instagram Story statement on Tuesday, October 22. “She loved me. I committed myself unconditionally for a very long time and I will always thank her for that.”

He continued: “I've had an incredibly tough year personally and have had to go through some pretty bad things. I thought it would be beneficial for both of us if we took different paths. I’m not perfect and never will be.”

Bryan urged his followers to respect LaPaglia's “privacy and space” as they cope with the breakup.

Related: Zach Bryan praises “gorgeous” girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia on Valentine’s Day

Country music superstar Zach Bryan and Barstool Sports podcaster Brianna LaPaglia — aka Brianna Chickenfry — have been hot and heavy since the beginning of their relationship. The couple met in May 2023 when LaPaglia, a fan of Bryan, attended the Academy of Country Music Awards and took a photo with Bryan. In the same month the “Something (…)”

“If you carry it in your heart, mine too,” he continued. “To all that I am and to everyone I have let down, I am sorry. I try my best in everything. I have let down people who love me and especially myself.”

Shortly after his post, LaPaglia appeared to address the breakup with a social media statement of his own.

“Hey guys, I'm feeling really caught off guard at the moment. I'm going to stay off social media for a while and try to heal privately. When I'm ready, I'll be back and ready to talk,” she shared via Instagram Stories on Tuesday. “I love you guys so much, thank you for all your kind words. Remember that you are so loved and that everything will always be okay.”

Fans began speculating that Bryan and LaPaglia, 25, had broken up after the podcast host posted a cryptic handwritten note via Instagram Stories on Monday, October 21.

“And at some point you will realize that life goes on, even if you don't want it to,” she wrote in her message. “The days will pass and the world will move as you beg it to stop. You’ll think life is cruel if you keep going while your feet are stuck.”

LaPaglia continued, “You will find people and moments to blame for your concrete feet. Then comes the morning when you wake up and realize that things are moving on. Life isn't cruel, your feet aren't. The world keeps turning in hopes of showing you that you can do it too.”

Bryan and LaPaglia made their relationship public in July 2023, with the Barstool personality telling podcast listeners that it was a “fun” and “casual” romance. (Their paths crossed at the ACM Awards earlier this year and again at one of his concerts in June 2023.)

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Rising artist Zach Bryan's swoon-worthy songwriting has fans curious about the true love stories that inspired them. Bryan's career took off after the release of his album American Heartbreak in 2022, his first record on a major label. He had previously left DeAnn and Elisabeth in 2019 and 2020 respectively and later cemented his place in the industry (…)

During their relationship, the couple got a dog together, which they named Boston after their hometown. The “Something in the Orange” singer also purchased a home in Duxbury, Massachusetts earlier this year.

Although neither has spoken much publicly about their relationship, the two exchanged Valentine's Day greetings last February.

“You're tough when people are rude, you're honest when it's hard, you're kind when it's easy not to be, you're funny in a world full of cry babies, you're beautiful when there aren't There is help, you are patient when I “As an idiot you are empathetic even though you shouldn't be,” he wrote on social media at the time. “I wish this world would see you in the same light as I do. I love you and wish you a hot dog for Valentine's Day. Sorry I was never able to get out of that plan in Vegas to ask, but here are 80 more.”