Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia is exhibiting that breakups might turn out to be a chance for private {and professional} reinvention.
Contemporary off her high-profile break up from musician Zach Bryan in October, LaPaglia graced the January digital cowl of Sports activities Illustrated Swimsuit. As she defined to the outlet, it was her means of “reclaiming who I’m as a lady, reclaiming my physique and my choices and my selections.”
The duvet arrived shortly after LaPaglia turned heads on the Golden Globes in a metallic robe with a plunging neckline that was shortly dubbed her “revenge costume.” The look was seen as a daring assertion not solely on her breakup with Bryan but additionally on the fallout with former greatest pal and PlanBri Uncut podcast cohost, Grace O’Malley.
In response to public relations specialists, each the Sports activities Illustrated cowl and the Golden Globes costume counsel that LaPaglia is making strategic use of each moments.
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“She’s making the correct strikes,” publicist Matthew Cancel, CEO and founding father of Cancel Communications, instructed Yahoo Leisure, noting that LaPaglia has gone as far as to alter her hair coloration barely and is “dressing a bit bit in another way” to outwardly match her inside shift.
“She’s reclaiming plenty of what she feels wasn’t hers, whether or not it was a relationship within the public eye with a rustic music star or a podcast with one of the best pal,” he added. “Whenever you’re a star, every part is about branding. So all of that’s simply sort of amplified. You need to hold it contemporary, hold it fascinating, hold your fan base hungry and excited for extra.”
LaPaglia echoed these sentiments herself in her Sports activities Illustrated interview, calling the quilt “my favourite f*** you” to Bryan, who she claimed pressured her to not work with the model throughout their relationship.
“This cowl is me being me once more and taking management of my life,” she instructed the outlet. “That is my physique; my physique isn’t that have, and although I’m not 100% in it proper now, that is me.”
A story of two breakups
LaPaglia’s life took a dramatic flip in late 2024 after two main breakups — one with Bryan and one other with O’Malley.
After ending her yearlong relationship with Bryan in October, LaPaglia alleged on her BFFs podcast that he provided her $12 million and a New York Metropolis condominium to remain silent about their time collectively. She refused and spoke overtly in regards to the relationship as an alternative, calling it controlling and emotionally abusive — claims Bryan has not but addressed publicly.
Her fallout with O’Malley solely added to the drama. LaPaglia accused her former PlanBri Uncut cohost of failing to defend her through the Bryan breakup and on-line backlash. The stress led to the podcast’s finish, with LaPaglia calling it a mutual determination, although O’Malley claimed in any other case.
In December, LaPaglia introduced plans to revive PlanBri, whereas O’Malley left Barstool Sports activities and joined Alex Cooper’s Unwell Community, marking the top of their friendship and collaboration.
Rebranding after breakups is difficult enterprise
In response to specialists, LaPaglia’s current strikes are a chief instance of turning private challenges into skilled alternatives.
“These moments permit her to ship a transparent message: she’s in charge of her story, not outlined by relationships or fallout,” Liza Anderson, Hollywood publicist and founding father of Anderson Group Public Relations, instructed Yahoo Leisure.
The idea of utilizing vogue to make a daring public assertion after a breakup is not new, however when executed authentically, Anderson stated it may resonate deeply with audiences. “It humanizes her, making her relatable, whereas additionally empowering her followers to view setbacks as alternatives,” she stated.
Public relations knowledgeable, Carolyn Sutton, agrees, telling Yahoo Leisure that rebranding after a breakup is not only about “erasing the previous, however about embracing your progress and redefining what you need in your future.”
That is very true for younger ladies, Sutton added, when “reinvention begins by aligning your private picture with the assured, empowered particular person you’re changing into. It’s an opportunity to turn out to be extra open, vibrant and, maybe, debut your true self.”
Bryan and LaPaglia on the Grammy Awards, October 2024. (Gilbert Flores/Billboard through Getty Pictures)
However rebranding might be difficult, particularly for public figures like LaPaglia and Bryan, whose relationship helped elevate their respective careers.
“Her superstar profile rose when she began relationship Zach Bryan as a result of he was a conventional superstar throughout the nation music house,” stated Cancel. “That solidified her in plenty of methods. Earlier than that, she was solely often called a TikToker or a podcaster,” including that her relationship with Bryan might have helped “break her out” to a brand new fanbase.
A fragile stability
Whereas followers appear to be applauding LaPaglia’s means to pivot, historical past exhibits that rebranding by means of private drama generally is a double-edged sword. Stars like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus have efficiently reclaimed their narratives after breakups, however Cancel warns that such strikes should align with a bigger narrative.
“It is solely going to backfire if you happen to overlook your fanbase,” he defined. “For those who’re a pop star recognized for making a sure sort of music and then you definately’re like, ‘I am gonna chop all my hair off,’ ‘I am not gonna make that music anymore,’ ‘I’m now a rock artist’ or no matter it’s, then you definately’re fully alienating the fanbase that made you well-known within the first place.”
That doesn’t appear to be the case for LaPaglia, added Anderson.
“For Brianna, who has at all times been outspoken, relatable and unfiltered, this rebranding feels pure moderately than pressured,” she defined. “It is a good strategy to present resilience and evolution — qualities her viewers probably admires.”
Nonetheless, it is necessary to strike the correct stability. “A rebranding technique can backfire if it feels overly manufactured or if it pushes the narrative into overexposure,” stated Anderson. “When the main target shifts from reclaiming to overcompensating, there’s a threat of alienating audiences who worth authenticity.”
No less than for now, LaPaglia seems decided to chart her personal course.
“It’s a story as previous as time,” stated Cancel. “Everyone desires to begin a brand new life, a brand new chapter, after a breakup. They reevaluate the folks round them, how they have been behaving in a relationship.”
He added, “Celebrities are human too.”
