In the aftermath of Zach Bryan’s highly publicized breakup from Brianna LaPaglia, the feud between the country music star and LaPaglia’s friends escalated dramatically. Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards, cohosts of the BFFs podcast, recently dropped a hard-hitting diss track titled “Smallest Man” that slams the singer in the wake of his split. The track, which made waves online, was initially taken down by Warner Music Group for copyright issues, only to be re-uploaded the same day.
The feud began when Bryan confirmed his breakup from LaPaglia, which stirred up emotions among her close friends, including Portnoy and Richards. On November 6, Josh Richards laid down the first verse of the track, taking direct shots at the “Something in the Orange” singer’s character and personal life. The lyrics include, “Tinder, Bumble, Raya, knew you was a liar / You’re a douchebag, you just made a new rival / Pretty soon you’re gonna need a revival.”
Richards’ verses seemed to target Bryan’s behavior, including his social media habits. He alluded to the fact that the singer publicly shared news of his breakup without first informing LaPaglia, saying, “You f–ked up, go post it on your Instagram Story.” The line echoed an earlier claim that Bryan had disclosed the news of their split on social media before discussing it with his ex-girlfriend.
But the diss track didn’t stop there. Portnoy and Richards also went after Bryan’s past relationships, including his previous marriage to Rose Madden, which ended in 2021 after nearly a year. Richards rapped, “You say you remember everything, I guess not because you forgot about your wedding ring,” a pointed reference to the singer’s failed marriage. He then moved on to take another jab at Bryan’s short-lived relationship with Deb Peifer, which lasted for two years after his divorce.
The song also didn’t shy away from bringing up Bryan’s infamous legal troubles. In September 2023, the country artist was briefly arrested for obstruction of justice, although no charges were filed. The diss track made use of the audio from his arrest, with Richards rapping, “Looking for pink skies, but now you’re seeing stars,” followed by a not-so-subtle mention of his past legal incident: “There’s something in the orange and it’s you behind these bars, b—h.”
Dave Portnoy, known for his brash and unapologetic style, joined in on the lyrical assault with his own set of jabs aimed at Bryan’s appearance. Rapping, “Itty bitty Zach, s–tty s-tty tats / Ugly in the face, there’s no cure for that,” Portnoy didn’t hold back, poking fun at the Grammy-winning singer’s physical features.
The release of the diss track has only intensified the public spat between the country singer and LaPaglia’s friends. With such personal and biting lyrics, it remains to be seen whether Zach Bryan will respond or if the feud will continue to escalate. For now, Portnoy and Richards seem to be enjoying their moment of retaliation.