Grace O’Malley Talks ‘Whirlwind’ Year in Brianna Chickenfry Friendship

Grace O’Malley has entered the chat. The Barstool Sports podcast host spoke out after continued questions about her friendship with Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia.

“Now that I have your attention: This last year & however many has been quite the whirlwind for Brianna and I’s friendship. Yes. There’s no denying that,” O’Malley, 26, shared via Instagram Stories on Wednesday, October 30. “But, I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t at least ask nicely for you guys to please give her the space and time that she needs to move on and heal.”

O’Malley shared a photo of her pointing a fake gun at LaPaglia’s ex-boyfriend Zach Bryan alongside the message. (Bryan, 28, publicly confirmed earlier this month that he and LaPaglia, 25, had split after one year together.)

Fans have been questioning the status of O’Malley and LaPaglia’s friendship a lot over the past few months. Most recently, “PlanBri Uncut” podcast listeners wondered whether there was tension between the two following the October 8 episode of the podcast.

The pair initially played coy about an incident O’Malley experienced a decade ago in Atlantic City that “shaped [her] as a woman.” She hinted at being “coerced or forced” into a situation at 16, and LaPaglia quickly reminded listeners that teenagers should not be “hanging out with the divorced men at the bar.” O’Malley repeated that it “wasn’t my fault” multiple times, and fans started to speculate that there were issues between the two. (There hasn’t been a new “PlanBri Uncut” episode since October 10.)

When LaPaglia didn’t publicly wish O’Malley a happy birthday on October 27, TikTok went wild with rumors that their friendship was over — something that LaPaglia has since shut down.

“I haven’t had TikTok in months. But apparently all anyone does on there is talk about my life,” she posted in her own statement on Wednesday. “So here ya go, I’m not interested in sharing my personal relationships online anymore because the internet so badly wants to ruin them all.”

She spoke about O’Malley directly, adding, “Grace has been like a sister since I was 15 years old. I wished her a happy birthday privately. I’m sorry but I’m having a week from hell and I’m tired of having to feel the need to explain myself to people who don’t know me. Love ya guys and that’s all there is to it.”

Related: Is Brianna’s Last Name Chickenfry? Meet the Barstool Sports Personality

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia made a name for herself online way before dating Zach Bryan. LaPaglia started working for Barstool Sports as an intern in 2020. Shortly after joining the company, they offered her a full-time role that came with her own podcast. The “PlanBri Uncut” brand was born when LaPaglia told listeners […]

LaPaglia has since confirmed that she is taking a break from both “PlanBri Uncut” and her second podcast, “BFFs,” which she hosts alongside Josh Richards and Dave Portnoy.

“Hey guys! We tried to record this week but I am having a very hard time figuring out how I want to handle this publicly due to all the backlash,” LaPaglia wrote in a message shared via the “BFFs” TikTok account. “I am going to put my mental health first this week. Josh and Dave want to make sure I do what’s best for me. I need to prioritize the right things this week. I hope you can all understand.”