Dave Portnoy responds to claims he fired Barstool podcaster because he 'loves' Brianna 'ChickenFry' LaPaglia
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has published an eight-minute video about the feud between two of his podcasters, Brianna 'ChickenFry' LaPaglia and Grace O'Malley.
The duo cohosted the 'PlanBri Uncut' show but O'Malley recently left the company after their 20-year friendship collapsed, seemingly placing Portnoy at the center of the feud.
LaPaglia has claimed O'Malley didn't support her through her allegedly emotionally abusive relationship with country singer Zach Bryan and it prompted her to end their joint show.
As a result, Portnoy said, O'Malley quit Barstool to pursue a career in comedy and he defiantly insisted that he has not given LaPaglia any favoritism.
'Emergency walk and talk — everybody knows Grace quit,' the 47-year-old said in av video posted on the BFFs X account. 'I’m still getting DMs from people being like "Dave, you ***ing fired her. You’re a scumbag for picking sides."
'People are f***ing nuts. People posting pictures of my ex f***ing wife [Renee Portnoy] online, being like, ‘Oh she looks like Bri, so Dave’s in love with her.’ It’s f***ing crazy.'
Dave Portnoy slammed claims a podcaster left Barstool as he loves Brianna LaPaglia (pictured)
LaPaglia and Grace O'Malley (right) ended their own Barstool show due to a falling out
Daves recap of the Bri vs O’Malley saga pic.twitter.com/TsIMkkjK42
— BFFs (@BFFsPod) December 17, 2024
While LaPaglia was criticial of how much O'Malley supported her through her split with Bryan, she can't say the same about Portnoy.
The 47-year-old repeatedly attacked Bryan on podcast appearances and on social media, as well as releasing a song about him called 'Smallest Man Who Ever Lived'. He has also blamed Bryan for the initial cracks in the relationship between LaPaglia and O'Malley.
Portnoy then said that he gave O'Malley space after the fallout with LaPaglia, and she initially planned to launch her own podcast - which supported as she had 18 months left on her Barstool contract.
He even shared screen grabs of text conversations between himself and O'Malley. telling her he 'f***ing hates being in the middle of all this'.
Portnoy also said that he was frustrated by O'Malley sharing details of the end of the podcast on her Instagram, turning people against LaPaglia - the only time he clashed with her over her exit.
'When she did that post, it was a 180 on the internet and people are savaging Bri again,' Portnoy said. 'I said to both of them at one point that if I could stick them into a cannon and shoot you to the moon, I would.
'I just want people to wake up and enjoy their job I don't want this headache of being stuck between two lifelong f***ing friends.'
Portnoy added he tried to get O'Malley to appear on their podcast one last time to end things on a positive note. He also said he was open to LaPaglia leaving Barstool.
LaPaglia recently split with Zach Bryan, claiming that he was emotionally abusive to her
'If they both want to leave, God bless them,' he said.
'I want them both to be happy. I want people to stop picking f***ing sides.
'O’Malley has a year and a half left on her contract. I could’ve been a p***k and been like "You can’t leave." No. Best of luck, O’Malley.
'O'Malley, I think, is going to be a huge f***ing success. I honestly wish her nothing but the best.
'I get both sides. I’ve said that from day one. It’s probably for the best that O’Malley goes on her way and who knows with Bri.'