Zach Bryan slams social media trolls for “attacking” his friends

Zach Bryan is coming to the defense of his friends after he claimed they were attacked online following his break-up Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia.

“You all are weird couch warriors attacking and belittling my friends on the internet because you assume I have a girlfriend, you’re freaking weird and should be studied for science,” Bryan, 28, wrote via a lengthy Instagram story rant. on Thursday, January 9 “Everyone is wondering why I’m quitting touring and don’t want to be tied to music anymore while you call my friends ugly and harass them?”

Bryan added that he wasn’t looking for “sympathy” but wanted to condemn the “low and messed up” actions of going after his friends.

“Apparently I’ve (had) four different girlfriends in two weeks, in between my friends and I just laugh and hang out like we always do,” he wrote before clarifying his current relationship. “I don’t have a girlfriend and I don’t plan on having a girlfriend, but I have normal friends who I love very much and would go to the end of the world for them.”

Bryan continued his rant by encouraging others to “go pay attention and time to a literal burning city,” seemingly referring to ongoing fires in Los Angeles.

“Stop being so sad, fickle and childish through screens. One last thing I’ll say about it. Crazy, I even have to,” he wrote. “You don’t know me.” You’ll never know me. Stop acting like you.”

The singer added that instead of attacking the people closest to him, his critics should talk about him because he can handle it.

“I am allowed to have love, laughter and good people in my life. No matter how bad of a person you think I am, go ahead and get me. I can take all the hate because I’m not a kid,” he wrote in a follow-up Instagram story. “But don’t go for my friends who do nothing but love and care for me. Everyone wants you to have fun and make great music, but you’re making it really hard when my friends are being insulted and receiving death threats on a daily basis.”

Bryan shared that he has “worked really hard” for his success, but the constant chatter from social media forces him to stay out of the limelight.

“Whether you think I deserve it or not. Whether you think I’m a piece of shit or not. Stop being such sad fat internet sleuths to my friends,” he wrote. “We’re all human and I’m so tired of people thinking social media is a way to have the moral high ground on people they’ve never met?” Guess people aren’t people anymore because they can hide behind screens? Weird guy, ok, I’m done.”

Bryan wasn’t really done. He shared another note saying that he doesn’t want others giving him tips on how to “deal with something or things they’ve never dealt with” themselves.

“I lost my mother, I was in war zones and I fought this fame for five years. Sincerely, I don’t need your unsolicited advice, I’m a grown man. I promise to get over some of the little bullies on the internet,” he wrote. “I’m so terribly unphased by the fake s- people say about me online, but coming out to the people I love and care about is my line and last straw.”

Bryan ended his rant by declaring that he had “stepped back” from social media for a while.

Bryan made headlines late last year following his dramatic split with LaPaglia, 25. In October 2024, Bryan revealed that he and the Barstool Sports personality had called it quits after dating for more than a year. LaPaglia claimed it she was “blind” by public announcement of the musician.

LaPaglia took a a break from social media after the breakup and Bryan settled down. A month after the split, LaPaglia returned to her “BFFs” podcast, where she appeared insight into its dynamics with Bryan and claimed that the musician “emotionally abused” her. (My Weekly contacted Bryan’s team at the time and received no response.)