Nov 11, 2024
Internet personality Brianna LaPaglia, or “Chickenfry” to her 2 million TikTok followers, has built a brand on her unfiltered humor and party-girl persona. Her online presence helped her land a co-hosting role on popular Barstool Sports podcast “BFFs,” where she shares the mic with TikTok star Josh Richards and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy.
But her recent headlines aren’t about comedy or her career — they’re about her high profile relationship with Grammy-winning country artist Zach Bryan and their very public breakup.
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On a recent “BFFs” episode, LaPaglia dropped a surprising detail about her breakup: Bryan had allegedly offered her $12 million to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in exchange for her silence about the relationship and how it ended.
LaPaglia admitted she wrestled with the decision, especially given her family “comes from nothing.” But ultimately, she turned down the offer.
“I did not accept any money. I will not accept any money. I think it’s beneath me,” she said in the explanation video prior to the podcast. But during the episode, Portnoy noted — as many would — “That is life-changing money.”
So, is “hush money” the norm in celebrity breakups? Here’s a closer look at why LaPaglia chose principle over payout.
Is ‘hush money’ really a thing?
The concept of hush money in Hollywood is nothing new. From the golden ages of Hollywood up until now, silence has been valued — and often bought.
Actress Bette Davis once found herself in a bind when her then-husband recorded her affair with billionaire Howard Hughes. To keep the story under wraps, Davis paid her husband $75,000 according to The New Yorker.
Fast forward to today, the stakes have only grown. LaPaglia revealed that, beyond the cash offer, Bryan’s team proposed purchasing her a house or an apartment in New York City.
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“I thought about it for a second and I think they tend to forget, I started to forget, that I was someone, I was established, I was successful, before,” LaPaglia reflected.
For many Americans, the idea of walking away from financial security in a relationship isn’t a simple choice. According to a LendingTree survey, 27% of millennials say they stay in relationships due to financial dependency, while 12% admit they’d like to leave but feel financially stuck.
In fact, a 2021 YouGov poll revealed that 35% of retired women rely, at least in part, on their partner for financial support, while only 9% of men reported the same.
As Stacy Francis, CEO of Francis Financial told CNBC, “Marriage is a union of love, but it’s also an economic arrangement.”
Financial independence can give individuals the freedom to make choices that align with their values, rather than their bank accounts. Relying on one's own income and savings means that choices in relationships aren’t constrained by financial insecurity. Financial literacy can allow individuals to walk away from unhealthy relationships.
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The millions offered to LaPaglia would have set her up for life — as long as she invested it wisely and didn’t treat it all as disposable income. But her decision ultimately underscores her willingness to reach the $12 million mark on her terms — through her own financial habits.
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When confidentiality comes at a high price
When it comes to high stakes relationships — whether in romance or business — non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) tend to surface, offering confidentiality, sometimes, at a high price tag. For those who sign, it’s more than just paperwork. It can be the loss of the right to share their side of the story.
“There's a huge psychological component to having to sit on something that is so obviously devastating to you and not being able to talk about it with anybody,” Julie Roginsky, co-founder of Lift Our Voices, told Forbes.
NDAs, like the one LaPaglia was asked to sign, can come with serious financial incentives, but they also come with strings attached. On the podcast, LaPaglia described how the NDA would have subjected her to constant scrutiny.
“They would’ve been monitoring everything that I do,” she said.
When it comes to signing NDAs, it’s important to think beyond immediate terms and consider how it might affect your life down the road. Consulting a lawyer or financial advisor can help you weigh the pros and cons, ensuring you know what you’re signing up for.
LaPaglia’s choice to forgo the $12 million serves as a reminder that not every offer is worth accepting. While financial security can be empowering, so is knowing when to walk away.
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Victoria Vesovski is a Toronto-based Staff Reporter at Moneywise, where she covers the intersection of personal finance, lifestyle and trending news. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a postgraduate certificate in Publishing from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master’s degree in American Journalism from New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Her work has been featured in publications including Apple News, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Her Campus Media and The Click.
