Dave Portnoy rips into Zach Bryan over shock split from Barstool colleague with savage Taylor Swift tweet
Dave Portnoy has taken a shot at Zach Bryan following the country singer’s shocking split from Barstool Sports podcaster Brianna Chickenfry.
Bryan, 28, first announced on his Instagram Story that they had split after more than a year, along with a lengthy statement on Tuesday.
However, just over 30 minutes later, Brianna, 25 — whose real name is Brianna LaPaglia — announced she was taking a social media break after feeling “really blindsided.”
Amid the controversy, Portnoy turned to X and said he pointedly dedicated Taylor Swift’s song “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” to Chickenfry.
Portnoy hosts the podcast ‘BFFs’ together with Chickenfry and TikTok influencer Josh Richards.
Dave Portnoy took a shot at Zach Bryan on social media following his divorce from Brianna Chickenfry
Bryan and Chickenfry (pictured in February) quit on Tuesday after a shocking statement
Portnoy said he dedicated Taylor Swift’s song “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” to her
‘‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’ comes from Swift’s most recent album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ and seemed to reference her heartbreak when her 1975 relationship with frontman Matty Healy ended.
Swift found herself in a whirlwind romance with Healy — though neither was ever directly confirmed — that began in April 2023 after they were spotted kissing in New York City.
But the affair ended as quickly as it began after Healy’s ‘bad boy’ image and ‘racist’ comments left the squeaky clean Swift facing backlash.
Bryan’s announcement came a day after fans speculated that he and Chickenfry had gone their separate ways after a Reddit user claimed to have seen Zach on celebrity dating app Raya with photos of his alleged profile, alongside a mysterious message shared by Chickenfry.
The country singer, who started dating Brianna in July 2023, posted to his account on Tuesday: “Addressing something: Brianna and I have broken up with each other (sic) and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart. She has loved me unconditionally for a long time and I will always thank her for that.
“I’ve personally had an incredibly difficult year and have struggled through some pretty serious things. I thought it would be helpful for both of us to date in different ways. I am not perfect and never will be.
Bryan announced their split in a statement posted to his Instagram Story on Tuesday
Brianna hinted at the breakup with her own post saying she felt “really blindsided.”
“Please respect Brianna’s privacy and space in this, and if it’s in your heart, mine too.
“I’m sorry for everything I am and everyone I’ve let down. I do my best in everything. I have failed people who love me, especially myself.”
About 30 minutes after Bryan posted his message, the Barstool Sports star posted her own message.
While she didn’t say anything about the breakup, she seemed to allude to her breakup with Zach, saying she felt “really blindsided” at the moment.
“Hey guys, I feel really blindsided right now. I’m going to be off social media for a while and try to heal privately. When I’m ready, I’ll be back and ready to talk.
“I love you guys so much, thank you for all your kind words. Remember that you are so loved and everything will always work out.”
More to follow.