Brianna LaPaglia Has Her “Spark” Back After Zach Bryan Breakup

Brianna LaPaglia is Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s latest digital cover star. In the interview, published Jan. 15, the content creator and BFFs podcast host discussed how it feels to work with the outlet. According to LaPaglia, posing for SI Swim was akin to “reclaiming” herself after getting out of a relationship with country singer Zach Bryan in October 2024.

LaPaglia has been open about her relationship and breakup with the musician, and has alleged that Bryan “emotionally abused” her. In November, LaPaglia said she refused to sign an alleged $12 million NDA offered by her ex. (According to a Jan. 12 episode of BFFs, LaPaglia knows that two of Bryan’s previous exes agreed to the NDA.)

During her SI interview, LaPaglia talked about about her healing process. “It's a lot more than me looking quote-unquote ‘hot’ in a swimsuit — it’s me reclaiming who I am as a woman, reclaiming my body and my decisions and my choices,” LaPaglia told SI Swim. “This cover is me being me again and taking control of my life.”

LaPaglia continued, “This is my body; my body isn’t that experience [her past relationship], and even though I’m not 100% in it right now, this is me. This doesn’t have anything to do with anybody else.”

The content creator also appreciated the timing of the cover as a revenge moment. “It is just, on a petty level, my favorite f*ck you,” she added. “This is me, and I wanted to do this, and now I’m on the digital cover.”

According to LaPaglia, having the “spotlight” was important to her ex, which impacted her behavior in the relationship. “When I walk into a room, I want to talk to everyone,” she said. “When the relationship first started, that became a problem for him; I was talking too much or I was being too much, and maybe the spotlight was not on him enough.”

Apparently, this particular aspect of her life has changed post-breakup. “I’m walking down the street, I’m at the crosswalk — I’m sparking up a conversation,” she continued. “I’m in the bodega, talking to the bodega guy for 20 minutes too long now. I’m finally talking to my hairdresser again, where I used to just sit in the chair. I’m finding that little spark of life back in myself now that one person that felt like a doom cloud over me at all times is gone.”

Since speaking out about her experience, LaPaglia has said that plenty of women have reached out to her. But she sounded resistant to the idea of being a role model. “I think people do tend to forget I’m just 25,” she told SI Swim. “It’s really overwhelming to feel the pressure of being a role model on top of everything in my life being very public, because at the end of the day, I’m still just a girl trying to figure her life out.”