Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia is exhibiting that breakups may change into a possibility for private {and professional} reinvention.
Recent off her high-profile cut 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 manner of “reclaiming who I’m as a girl, reclaiming my physique and my choices and my selections.”
The quilt 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 in addition on the fallout with former finest buddy and PlanBri Uncut podcast cohost, Grace O’Malley.
Based on public relations specialists, each the Sports activities Illustrated cowl and the Golden Globes costume recommend that LaPaglia is making strategic use of each moments.
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“She’s making the suitable 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 shade barely and is “dressing a bit of bit in a different way” to outwardly match her inside shift.
“She’s reclaiming a number 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 the very best buddy,” he added. “If you’re a celeb, all the things is about branding. So all of that’s simply type of amplified. You wish to hold it contemporary, hold it attention-grabbing, hold your fan base hungry and excited for extra.”
LaPaglia echoed these sentiments herself in her Sports activities Illustrated interview, calling the duvet “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 despite the fact that 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 condo to remain silent about their time collectively. She refused and spoke brazenly concerning the relationship as a substitute, 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 throughout the Bryan breakup and on-line backlash. The strain led to the podcast’s finish, with LaPaglia calling it a mutual resolution, 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
Based on specialists, LaPaglia’s current strikes are a chief instance of turning private challenges into skilled alternatives.
“These moments enable 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 trend to make a daring public assertion after a breakup is not new, however when executed authentically, Anderson mentioned it may possibly resonate deeply with audiences. “It humanizes her, making her relatable, whereas additionally empowering her followers to view setbacks as alternatives,” she mentioned.
Public relations skilled, 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 to 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 change into extra open, vibrant and, maybe, debut your true self.”
Bryan and LaPaglia on the Grammy Awards, October 2024. (Gilbert Flores/Billboard through Getty Photos)
However rebranding will be tough, particularly for public figures like LaPaglia and Bryan, whose relationship helped elevate their respective careers.
“Her movie star profile rose when she began relationship Zach Bryan as a result of he was a standard movie star throughout the nation music house,” mentioned Cancel. “That solidified her in a number of methods. Earlier than that, she was solely generally known as a TikToker or a podcaster,” including that her relationship with Bryan could have helped “break her out” to a brand new fanbase.
A fragile stability
Whereas followers appear to be applauding LaPaglia’s skill to pivot, historical past exhibits that rebranding by way of private drama is usually 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 in the event you neglect your fanbase,” he defined. “If you happen to’re a pop star recognized for making a sure sort of music and you then’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, you then’re utterly 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 all the time been outspoken, relatable and unfiltered, this rebranding feels pure relatively than compelled,” she defined. “It is a sensible solution to present resilience and evolution — qualities her viewers probably admires.”
Nonetheless, it is essential to strike the suitable stability. “A rebranding technique can backfire if it feels overly manufactured or if it pushes the narrative into overexposure,” mentioned Anderson. “When the main focus 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,” mentioned Cancel. “Everyone desires to begin a brand new life, a brand new chapter, after a breakup. They reevaluate the individuals round them, how they had been behaving in a relationship.”
He added, “Celebrities are human too.”
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