Country star Zach Bryan, once commended as a music sensation with heartfelt lyrics and a deep emotional connection to fans, has found himself at the center of yet another public conflict. Bryan’s most recent debacle is drawing attention to his questionable behavior from the past, creating an identity for the star that is hard to overlook.
In the past several months, Bryan’s reputation has been deeply tarnished by a public breakup, several drunken social media posts, missed public appearances due to him being inebriated, and resurfaced scandals from his past. While his music continues to connect with millions of listeners, many question if Bryan’s personal struggles have begun to overshadow his talent.
Bryan’s most recent controversy derives from his highly publicized and somewhat viral breakup with internet personality and Barstool Sports podcaster Brianna Lapaglia, who is more famously known as Brianna Chickenfry. Bryan announced the split on an Instagram story posted on Oct. 22, alluding to personal issues he’s had throughout the year, and claiming that he thought it would be favorable for both of them to go different ways.
A few days later, Lapaglia said she was ‘blindsided’ by the post and had no idea of Bryan’s intentions to share it. The couple, who had been together for over a year, often faced public scrutiny because of separate actions during their relationship.
Relationship drama is not unfamiliar to Bryan, who divorced his wife in 2021 after one year of marriage and tumultuous rumors of infidelity on Bryan’s part. These rumors have been recurring with his recent relationship with Lapaglia. While Bryan’s relationship troubles have often been a popular subject of debate, perhaps more concerning are the rumors surrounding his often intoxicated status.
Speculation about Bryan’s alcohol abuse has been fueled by his admission of being under the influence of alcohol while posting controversial comments on the social media platform X. This incident, along with his 2023 arrest in Oklahoma, offers a glimpse into an increasingly complicated persona for the country star.
Bryan angered many fans after an incident at folk-artist Noah Kahan’s concert in Boston in July. According to Lapaglia, Bryan was too intoxicated to go on stage and perform with Kahan, and Lapaglia was forced to cover for him. This caused listeners of both Kahan and Bryan to be upset with the missed opportunity to hear the artists perform together, due to Bryan’s impropriety.
On one hand, many could argue that Bryan’s alleged manipulative behavior and alcohol abuse are nothing more than baseless rumors. In fact, many people have continued to support him throughout his many controversies, which highlights a large issue in Bryan’s following. Yet, while some of his problems could be unfounded claims, many of his errors are indefensible offenses that should not be pushed aside for the sake of a good listen.
Most notably, Bryan’s constant manipulation of Lapaglia during their relationship, as well as his physical aggression towards friends, his disregard for police authority, and his lack of professionalism, is not something that can be ignored.
While Bryan has been vulnerable in his music, with many self-effacing lyrics, his actions have expanded past excusable offenses and have begun to craft a more telling and problematic personality. To continue to support Bryan is to continue to support an unscrupulous and disingenuous person, who will continue to use his self-abasing lyrics to excuse his immature and destructive behavior.
