Dave Portnoy, Zach Bryan. Getty Images (2)
Dave Portnoy and Zach Bryan’s beef runs deep — and it’s not just because of Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia.
“He hates my guts,” Portnoy, 47, said about the singer during a “BFFs” podcast in November 2024. “I ended up more in the middle of this than I, kind of, was anticipating.”
Bryan announced in October 2024 that after one year, he and LaPaglia had split. The Barstool Sports personality claimed that she was “blindsided” by Bryan’s decision to publicly announce their breakup. She has since come out claiming that she was “emotionally abused” by Bryan during their relationship.
Portnoy has stood by LaPaglia’s side amid the drama that has transpired following her and Bryan’s split. In fact, the Barstool Sports founder has not been quiet about his disdain for the “Something in the Orange” singer.
Dave Portnoy and Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia’s friendship has come a long way over the years. Portnoy, 47, founded Barstool Sports in 2003, but LaPaglia, 25, didn’t join the team until much later. She got her start with the podcast network in 2020 as an intern. The organization contacted her via social media after her videos […]
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Portnoy and Bryan’s history:
His Comments After Their Split
Portnoy crossed paths with Bryan a few times when the singer was dating LaPaglia.
“He just seemed like a really immature, not confident baby,” Portnoy claimed of Bryan during an October 2024 episode of “The Unnamed Show” podcast. When they met backstage at one of Bryan’s shows, Portnoy said the singer was “nice,” but it was obvious that vibes were “off.”
Portnoy also weighed in on the “crazy” move Bryan made to apparently reactivatehis Raya account (Raya is a dating app, for the uninitiated) after breaking up with LaPaglia. “He was on a dating app before the body was cold!” Portnoy said, calling it “dirty business.”
Getting Banned From Bryan’s Concerts
Dave Portnoy, Zach Bryan. Getty Images (2)
This past February, Portnoy and Richards were apparently “banned” from Bryan’s Las Vegas concert. During the same episode of “The Unnamed Show,” Portnoy recalled having this conversation with LaPaglia.
“She’s like, ‘Zach has banned you from going to the concert,’” he claimed. “Apparently, Zach went back — how many months was it — it had to be, maybe, six months. We at one time on ‘BFFs’ had a discussion where Bri just got a new boyfriend.”
Bryan was apparently upset because Portnoy jokingly called LaPaglia a “revolving door” of relationships during an August 2023 podcast episode.
Singing ‘Revival’ — And Justice for Miss Peaches
Portnoy eventually attended the Boston date of Bryan’s The Quittin’ Time Tour in July 2024. The Barstool Sports founder joined Bryan on stage to sing “Revival,” but there was apparently some discourse backstage involving Miss Peaches.
Miss Peaches is Portnoy’s very famous dog, whom the podcast host brought to the concert. (LaPaglia noted that she apparently had to get the “green light” from Bryan before the dog could attend the show.)
“Did you know this Bri, that he kicked Miss Peaches out of the dressing room?” Portnoy claimed during the November 2024 “BFFs” episode. “That drove me bananas.”
Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards dragged Zach Bryan through the mud with their “Smallest Man” diss track — and used the country singer’s own songs to do it. On Wednesday, November 6, the “BFFs” podcast hosts dropped a five-minute-long music video in defense of Bryan’s ex-girlfriend and their cohost, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia. (The […]
Portnoy apparently kept Miss Peaches in Bryan’s dressing room during the concert, but would go check on her periodically.
“Peaches is the least maintenance dog, other than she’ll try to get into stuff. She’s as chill as can be. But it’s peaches so I’m walking back and forth to make sure she’s OK. I walked in back to check on her and he’s just bringing her to this little band dressing room,” Portnoy claimed. “I’m like OK, but I have no idea to this day why he wants to get Peaches out of that locker room.”
Portnoy said the second dressing room was full of equipment, making it “dangerous” for the dog.
“I don’t know why he did that, but it pissed me off greatly in the moment,” Portnoy added. “Maybe because he didn’t want me there. He hates me but Miss Peaches, you kick her out of the locker room.”
The Diss Track
Dave Portnoy, Zach Bryan. Getty Images (2)
Portnoy and Richards released a diss track about Bryan titled “Smallest Man” in November 2024.
In his verse, the Barstool Sports founder called Bryan “ugly,” referencing the singer’s “s—ty tats.”
“Country singing boss baby, get that boy a snack / Throw another temper tantrum, it’s time for a nap,” Portnoy sang on the song, noting that Bryan’s “head looks like a Lego” and he has hair “like Homer Simpson.”
Bryan’s Apparent Comments About Portnoy
Bryan had some choice words about Portnoy following his breakup from LaPaglia, at least according to an alleged text shown on the November 2024 “BFFs” episode.
“You work for [R-word] people,” Bryan allegedly messaged LaPaglia about Portnoy. “Directly your boss and company. Should have just realized this and left in February.”