Dave Portnoy makes shock announcement on future of Barstool podcast after Zach Bryan feud

Barstool founder Dave Portnoy has revealed that he will be making an exit from one of the company’s popular podcasts. 

The Barstool chief has co-hosted the BFFs podcast with Brianna Chickenfry – real name Brianna LaPaglia – and TikTok star Josh Richards since the launch of the show in 2020.

However, during the latest episode, Portnoy announced a major update about the future of the show. 

He confirmed that the podcast will be undergoing a complete makeover next year and as part of the new look, he will no longer be featured.

Portnoy revealed that he would be leaving the podcast at the end of the year, explaining that he was becoming too old for the show’s content. 

‘People were confused when we said this last time. I said I was leaving BFFs. BFFs is continuing with Bri and Josh, and I don’t know if you guys want to talk. I think the plan is to change it a little bit?’ Dave said on the November 13th episode.

Barstool founder Dave Portnoy has revealed that he will be making an exit from BFFs podcast

‘Yeah, it’s definitely going to be a new pod,’ LaPaglia said. ‘A little but more personal life involved in it.’

‘Yeah, definitely new feel. I think you’re going to see me and Bri in person much more. I think you’re going to see a little bit more of like a guest atmosphere as well,’ Richards added.

Portnoy had teased the news on the previous episode, triggering fears among fans that the show was being axed altogether. 

‘Just because I’m getting older, like nearing 50, talking about teenage drama, a little out of my wheelhouse. So, we’ve known this for months and we’re like, “What’s the best way to announce it?”‘ he said.

However, he has since clarified this week that the show will go on – just without him. 

The bombshell news comes after the past two episodes have been largely dedicated to LaPaglia’s split from country music star Zach Bryan. 

LaPaglia slammed her ex-boyfriend as ’emotionally abusive’ and revealed she refused to sign an NDA in the wake of their ugly break-up on the podcast last week. 

The Barstool Sports podcast host, 25, hit the headlines last month when her year-long relationship with Bryan, 28, came to an abrupt end.

Brianna Chickenfry appeared on the BFFs podcast to give her side of the Zach Bryan break-up

The country artist and Portnoy’s co-host Brianna Chickenfry called it quits last month 

She quickly took to social media to claim she was blindsided by Bryan’s social media announcement of the split, and her Barstool colleagues have since rallied around her.

She dropped some more bombshells about the ugly end to their relationship on her return to the BFFs podcast.

‘Me not taking the money [from a non-disclosure agreement] is not just for me, it’s for anyone else that’s been emotionally abused, it’s for people right now that are being emotionally abused,’ she revealed. 

‘It’s for people that don’t have a support system that I was lucky enough to have going through this. This last year of my life has been the hardest year of my life, dealing with the abuse from this dude.

‘I’m still scared right now, I’m scared of him, my brain is rewired, I’m scared to make him mad. Last week I didn’t want to talk about it because I was scared.’

LaPaglia then went on to claim that she turned down a staggering $12million payout from the singer to sign an NDA, alleging that previous girlfriends had been ‘made’ to go down that road.

Meanwhile both Portnoy and Richards have stanchly defended their co-host with the former even releasing two diss tracks about the singer. 

Portnoy released ‘Country Diddy’ on the BFF’s YouTube channel earlier this week 

The pair initially teamed up to drop an original song, ‘Smallest Man,’ which ripped Bryan over his hairline, height, a 2023 arrest as well as allegations of infidelity and sexually transmitted diseases.

However, Warner Music – Bryan’s record label – hit back, having the video removed from all platforms over copyright issues due to Richards also being signed with the company. 

In retaliation, Portnoy went solo earlier this week, releasing a second track in which he brands Bryan ‘Country Diddy’ – in reference to Sean Combs. 

Bryan’s alleged use of NDAs was immediately brought up in the track with the hook, sung by a female singer, singing ‘All these NDAs, you sound like a country Diddy.’