Zach Bryan Was Once Accused Of Dating 'Clone' Of His Ex-Girlfriend, 'Built A Brianna 2.0 In The Lab'

Country music singer Zach Bryan previously dated social media personality Brianna LaPaglia. When he began dating his now-wife, Samantha Leonard, many called her his ex-girlfriend's 'clone.'

By Avispita Saha Last Updated: Oct 3, 2026 | 18:50:53 IST

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Country singer Zach Bryan is grabbing headlines after he decided to wear a “Free Palestine” shirt during his concert at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium on Friday night, October 2, 2026. What makes his move even more attention-grabbing is that Robert had previously barred Macklemore just a month before this over his anti-Israel rant.

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Amid this, the focus has also shifted to Zach Bryan’s personal life. He was once accused of dating his ex-girlfriend, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia’s “clone.”

Did Zach Bryan date his ex-girlfriend, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia’s ‘clone’?

Zach Bryan had everyone doing a double take when he first began dating Samantha Leonard. Like many of his fans, the Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy could not help but express his disbelief over how much Samantha looks like Bryan’s ex-girlfriend, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, who also happens to be his employee.

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During an episode of the Unnamed Show, Portnoy asked his podcast co-hosts Kirk Minihane and Ryan Whitney, “Have you seen his girlfriend?” Dave Portnoy went on to share side-by-side images of Samantha and Brianna, noting, “This is not Brianna. It's insane. I mean, how is that even possible?”

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Bryan and Samantha were first linked in July 2025 when the latter shared a photo of them at Spain’s Running of the Bulls in an Instagram carousel. Many fans who noticed her resemblance to Brianna LaPaglia took to Reddit to say that it's “actually crazy” and “scary.” Another compared Zach Bryan to Kanye West and wrote, “This is what Kanye West did to Kim Kardashian with Bianca Censori. Such loser behavior.” A third called Samantha Brianna’s “clone.”

The Unnamed Show hosts all quipped and visibly struggled to tell Samantha and Brianna LaPaglia apart. Dave Portnoy added:

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“I honestly don’t even know what I’m looking at here … He went and built a Brianna 2.0 in the lab. I mean, that’s insane.”

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For those unaware, Zach Bryan and Brianna LaPaglia dated from 2023 to 2024. After their split, Brianna went on to accuse Zach of emotional abuse, in addition to cheating. In an episode of the Hot Mess podcast, Brianna was asked who was the one who initiated the breakup. To this, she referred to Bryan's public announcement via social media about their split and said:

"The ending was really weird. He got caught on Raya, so he had to post an Instagram Story… I didn't know he was cheating on me the whole time. I kind of brushed over that because the cheating was the most normal part for me"

Meanwhile, Bryan not only dated Samantha Leonard after his split from Brianna, but later also married her. The duo reportedly tied the knot on December 31, 2025, in a secret Spanish wedding.

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Who is Zach Bryan’s wife, Samantha Leonard?

While Zach Bryan is one of the most well-known faces in country music, his wife, Samantha Leonard, has maintained a quieter personality. As per her LinkedIn profile, she holds a Bachelor's degree from New York University. As of January 2026, she was pursuing a Master's degree in interior architecture at UCLA. Reports state that Samantha splits her time between Newport Beach, California, and New York City.

Months after Samantha and Zach were first linked together in July 2025, they soon sparked engagement rumors when the former was spotted wearing a diamond ring in social media posts. They went Instagram official in October 2025 when Zach affectionately called her ‘Samantha Marie.’ After months of speculation, photos from their Spain wedding confirmed that they were officially husband and wife in December 2025.

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Check out the video here.

What are your thoughts on Zach Bryan's current wife, Samantha Leonard, looking like a “clone” of his ex-girlfriend, Brianna LaPaglia?

Also Read: Ballerina Sara Mearns Is Engaged, All About Her Love Story With Gavin Kelley And Hearing Loss Battle

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