Zach Bryan Slams ‘Weird Couch Warriors’ for ‘Harassing’ His Friends: ‘Every Day I Lose a Little More Faith in Humanity’

Following singer-songwriter Zach Bryan‘s breakup with ex-girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia (aka Brianna Chickenfry), it seems some online users have been intent on trying to discover whether the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper has a new girlfriend. And according to Bryan, some of those users have been “harassing” his friends in the process.

In a series of Instagram Stories on Jan. 9, Bryan railed against “f–kin weird couch warriors” whom he claimed have been “attacking and belittling my friends on the internet because you’re assuming I have a girlfriend.” Bryan added, “Everyone wonders why I quit touring and don’t want to be attached to music anymore, meanwhile you’re calling my friends ugly and harassing them?”

He also clarified his current dating status, saying, “I don’t have a girlfriend and don’t plan on having a girlfriend however I do have normal friends that I love very much and would go to the ends of the earth for…you do not know me. You never will know me. Stop acting like you do.”

He continued, “I am allowed to have love, laughter and good people in my life. No matter how bad of a person you think I am, go ahead and come for me. I can take all the hatred because I’m not a child. But do not come for my friends who do nothing but love and care for me. Everyone wants you to have fun and make great music but you guys are making it really hard to do that with my friends getting insulted and death threats every day.”

Bryan also noted, “Every day I lose a little more faith in humanity and everyday I get closer to never being in the public’s [sic] eye again which is incredibly sad because I truly do really love humans and being happy and joking around and laughing a lot. I love my life. I’ve worked very hard for it. Whether you think I deserve it or not. Stop being such sad and fat fingered internet sleuths to my friends. We’re all humans and I’m so tired of people thinking social media is a way to have a high moral ground on people they’ve never met? Guess people aren’t humans anymore since they can hide behind screens? Weird a–holes man ok I’m done.”

His series of Instagram Stories entries continued as the former Navy member (he was honorably discharged following eight years of service), who also weathered the passing of his mother in 2016, spoke out against people trying to give him unsolicited advice about grief and coping with fame.

“Ahh, one more thing: I don’t need people telling me to hang in there, sympathizing with me, or giving me advice on how to handle something or things they’ve never coped with,” he wrote. “I lost my mother, I’ve been in war zones, and I’ve battled this whole fame thing for five years. Respectfully I don’t need your unsolicited advice. I’m a grown man. I promise I can get through some little bullies on the internet hahaha. I am so terrifyingly unphased [sic] by the fake s–t people say about me online but coming for people I love and care for is my line and my final straw. Okay have a good day everyone love you miss you.”

Bryan recently wrapped his The Quittin’ Time Tour, which played a slew of top venues, including numerous stadiums, throughout 2024. Last year, he also issued the album The Great American Bar Scene, which rose to No. 2 on the Billboard 200.