Zach Bryan has been one of the biggest breakout stars of the country music world, following his critically acclaimed 2022 album American Heartbreak. Since many of his songs focus on love and heartbreak, Zach’s relationships have often sparked interest among his fans. In October 2024, Bryan confirmed his split from Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia
“Brianna and me have broken up with [each other], and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart,” he wrote via his Instagram Stories. Since the announcement, Brianna opened up about emotional struggles during the relationship and claimed that Bryan offered her $12.9 million in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement, which she says she declined.
The following year, Zach moved on by marrying his new wife, Samantha Leonard. Find out more about Zach’s current relationship, his past with Brianna and his prior marriage here.
Samantha Leonard
Zach confirmed his marriage to Samantha on December 31, 2025. The spouses were first romantically linked in July 2025, and their romance continued to blossom.
Brianna LaPaglia
Zach began dating Brianna, who is also known by her online handle, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, in July 2023. Brianna is a social media star who went viral on Vine and TikTok. She also hosts the podcasts Plan Bri Uncut and BFFs.
While the “Something in the Orange” singer and podcaster were together from July 2023 until their split confirmation in October 2024, Brianna revealed in a vlog that they met at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 2023. “All I want to do is meet Zach Bryan,” she said early in the clip. She detailed meeting him and later described him as “The nicest man I have ever met in my entire life.”
After the ACMs, Brianna revealed that she attended Zach’s New York City concert with her then-boyfriend, and they went on-stage during the concert. After the show, she revealed that she had made a podcast, shouting him out, and he slid into her DMs to say he appreciated it on her BFFs podcast. In July, she said that the two of them were spending time together and it was “fun” and “casual” on Plan Bri Uncut.
In August, the podcaster revealed that she and Zach were dating on the BFFs podcast. Barstool owner Dave Portnoy “grilled” her on the podcast, giving her a hard time since she didn’t go public with him on their show. When she clarified their relationship timeline, she revealed that the first time they really spent time together, they went on an 18-hour car ride and talked the entire home. “He’s like the nicest, most genuine person I’ve ever met. He’s so normal,” she said. “This guy’s actually awesome.”
When Zach dropped his self-titled album, fans were looking for any signs of Brianna, and her podcast co-hosts revealed that she was there when he recorded one of the songs. What appears to be her laugh could be heard in the background of his song “Smaller Acts,” which was apparently recorded as a voice memo in a field. Even though she didn’t really confirm or deny whether the laugh was hers, Brianna said that the song wasn’t about her. “He recorded it on his phone,” she said on the podcast. “It’s not about me. I was just there when he recorded it.”
On October 22, 2024, their relationship came to an end. He posted on his Instagram Stories, “I have had an incredibly hard year personally and struggled through some pretty severe things. I thought it would be beneficial for both of us to go our different ways.” Zach added, “I am not perfect and never will be. Please respect Brianna’s privacy and space in this and if you have it in your heart, mine too.”
In response to his message, Brianna took to her Instagram Stories to express that she felt “blindsided.” She wrote, “Gonna hop off social media for a while and attempt to heal privately, when I’m ready I’ll be back and ready to talk.”
In November 2024, just weeks after their split, Brianna revealed during an episode of “BFFs” that Zach was controlling, particularly when it came to what she wore. She recalled that he did not approve of her sheer dress at the 2024 Golden Globes, saying, “He said he didn’t want to date someone that presents themselves that way.” However, he later shared pictures of her on his story, calling her “beautiful.” Brianna also revealed that she was offered a $12 million deal, which required her to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Additionally, her fellow podcast co-hosts, Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards, released a diss track about him.
Deb Peifer
Before hitting it off with Brianna Chickenfry, Zach was in a relationship with Deb Peifer. The pair were together for about 18 months when they called it quits in May 2023, per Page Six. Prior to their split, Deb had shared tons of photos of the two of them on her social media, including the two of them at a football game for Zach’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Since the split, she seems to have deleted them.
The “I Remember Everything Singer” tweeted out a statement announcing their breakup. “For transparency and with respect I am letting everyone know Debra and me went our separate ways about a week and a half ago. Things are mutual between us, we’re leaving with plenty memories and good times. I beg so much that everyone respects her and my privacy through a hard time,” he wrote.
Rose Madden
Before he rose to fame, Zach was briefly married to Naval Officer Rose Madden. He revealed that they’d tied the knot when he responded to a fan asking for new merch in a tweet. “Ya sorry brother had to get married that’s my bad,” he joked. With his two new relationships, it’s clear that Zach and Rose have split up. Neither has publicly addressed the split, but they’ve cleared photos of each of them from their social media.
