It’s a sad day for… some people. On Oct. 22, Zach Bryan and Brianna Chickenfry (LaPaglia) confirmed their breakup via Instagram Stories, but fans aren’t all that surprised — because shortly before they announced their breakup, internet users were sharing screenshots of what appeared to be Bryan on the dating app Raya, as well as apparent DMs between him and another woman. Her Campus reached out to both Raya and Bryan’s team for confirmation of the validity of these screenshots, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
Bryan’s statement, posted via his Instagram story on Oct. 22, reads in full:
“Addressing something: Brianna and me have broken up with each other and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart. She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that I will always thank her. I have had an incredibly hard year personally and struggled through some pretty severe things. I thought it would be beneficial for us to go our different ways. I am not perfect and never will be. Please respect Brianna’s privacy and space in this and if you have it in your heart, mine too. With everything I am and to anyone I let down, I am sorry. I try my best in everything. I failed people that love me and mostly myself.”
Shortly after, LaPaglia posted her own statement on her Instagram story, claiming she was “blindsided” by Bryan’s statement. “Hey guys I’m feeling really blindsided right now,” she wrote. “Gonna hop off social media for a while and attempt to heal privately, when I’m ready I’ll be back and ready to talk.”
She continued, “I love you guys so much thank you for all your kind words. Remember you are so loved and everything’s always gonna be okay 🫶🏻”
So, Was Zach Bryan on Raya?
The breakup comes after rumors of Bryan being on the dating app Raya emerged on social media. Raya, if you didn’t know, is a membership-based dating app and social network that’s marketed toward celebrities and influencers, but is also open to non-celebrities (if their application is approved). Screenshots of what appeared to be Bryan’s profile began circulating during the week of Oct. 21 — though Bryan never confirmed nor denied that his account was active, so it very well could’ve been before he started dating LaPaglia. Or not! Who knows!
Zach Bryan is also facing backlash for apparent DMS with another woman.
Along with rumors of the musician being on Raya, Bryan is also facing backlash for apparently messaging another woman shortly after he and LaPaglia moved to Massachusetts together in April 2024. In screenshots of Instagram DMs that were recently leaked on social media, a person who appears to be Bryan agrees to meet up with an unnamed woman, writing, “Please keep this under raps and be kind to my privacy okay! We just moved out here and if we can keep this between us I’d owe you for it.” Her Campus reached out to Bryan’s team for comment about these apparent DMs, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
Did Zach Bryan delete his Instagram?
After the Raya rumors started to go viral, Bryan deleted his Instagram early on Tuesday, Oct. 22 before reactivating to share his statement. Though, it’s worth noting that Bryan has been known to delete his accounts often, so it could’ve just been a coincidence.
However, with Bryan and LaPaglia both confirming their breakup, I think it’s probably best to keep the comments to ourselves, especially the negative ones, and move on. And the world keeps spinning, y’all.