Brianna ‘Chickenfry’ LaPaglia is ‘reclaiming herself’ as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star
Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia is making quite the splash.
On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit announced the Barstool Sports podcast host, 25, as its January 2025 digital cover model.
LaPaglia — whose 2016 social media post comparing her leg to a Burger King chicken fry inspired her nickname — soaked up the sun at the Austin Estate in California, posing for photographer Katherine Goguen in head-turning swimwear.
In one image, the content creator is clad in a one-of-a-kind woven bikini from Isa Boulder.
In other snaps, LaPaglia modeled a snakeskin-printed two-piece from Same, a plunging gold one-piece by Isa Boulder, a beaded look by Tropic of C and more.
With this cover, the star said she hopes to reclaim her body and voice after her highly public breakup from country singer Zach Bryan. After the pair’s October 2024 split, LaPaglia accused the “Something in the Orange” singer of cheating and emotional abuse, revealing she turned down a $12 million NDA so she could expose the details of their year-long relationship.
“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, who has been candid about her weight loss after claiming Bryan emotionally abused her, said about the shoot.
“This cover is me being me again and taking control of my life. This is my body; my body isn’t that experience, and even though I’m not 100% in it right now, this is me,” she added. “This doesn’t have anything to do with anybody else.”
However, there is a bit of karma in the choice; in the interview, the “BFFs” co-host reveals that she was set to host the Sports Illustrated 60th anniversary red carpet, but Bryan told her it was a “trashy” gig.
“[The photo shoot] is just, on a petty level, my favorite f—k you,” she laughed. “This is me, and I wanted to do this, and now I’m on the digital cover.”
Sports Illustrated Swimwear shared the news on its Instagram page this morning, and fans quickly flocked to the comment section to show their support for LaPaglia.
“SHE IS THE MOMENT!! This is everything 😍😍” one user gushed.
Another added, “Yes. Yes. A million times yes. So proud of her!”
LaPaglia spoke about the split and how others trying to leave relationships started coming to her for advice.
“I think people do tend to forget I’m just 25,” she noted. “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.”
This year is already treating the Boston native well.
On Jan. 5, she hit the red carpet at the Golden Globes 2025 in a plunging Maria Lucia Hohan gown after she revealed that Bryan was unhappy with her sheer dress for the same awards show the year prior.
At this show, she told Page Six in an interview that she’s focusing on herself this year.
“2025: the year of being single. I haven’t done it in a long time,” LaPaglia said. “I want to surround myself with good people, I want to be a good person. I just wanna, like, have a good aura in 2025.”
