The tea is getting even hotter. On Dec. 19, Grace O’Malley joined the Unwell Network, and fans are absolutely losing it. The announcement, which was made across Unwell’s social media platforms, comes in the thick of the recent best friend breakup between O’Malley and her former podcast co-host Brianna Chickenfry (real name LaPaglia). However, the lore with LaPaglia, O’Malley, and Unwell goes way deeper than this recent drama — and let’s just say, fans are sat.
On Dec. 19, the Unwell Network posted an official announcement that it had signed O’Malley, writing “@gracekomalley IS UN-F*CKING-WELL!!! Welcome home ❤️👏😉”
If you’re not caught up on the Grace O’Malley and Brianna LaPaglia drama, let me give you the TL;DR. Basically, not only did LaPaglia and O’Malley co-host the Barstool Sports podcast PlanBri, but the two had been best friends since childhood. On the internet, fans were drawn to the duo’s hilarious dynamic and the fact that they had stayed friends during their parallel rise to fame. However, over the past few months, the two grew noticeably distant — especially during LaPaglia’s now-former relationship with country singer Zach Bryan — and fans noticed that PlanBri was on a hiatus (the last episode with the two was released on Oct. 10). But on Dec. 6, O’Malley broke the silence and addressed the status of her podcast and her relationship with LaPaglia.
“If you know me you know I truly hate having to be serious about anything ever, but sometimes you just have to be,” O’Malley wrote on her Instagram Story. “For months I’ve been radio silent about the status of Plan Bri and it has killed me to leave you guys hanging. “
O’Malley continued to say that she and LaPaglia were supposed to release a joint statement, but things did not go according to plan. Additionally, she added that LaPaglia made a post about “bringing back some version of PlanBri,” which O’Malley claimed she was unaware of, as well as claiming that ending PlanBri was not a “mutual decision.” Her Campus previously reached out to LaPaglia’s team for comment about O’Malley’s statement but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Days after the statement, O’Malley announced that she was leaving Barstool Sports. “I wanted you guys to hear from me first that this is my last day at Barstool,” O’Malley wrote in a Dec. 16 Instagram Story. “I’m so grateful to everyone at the company and to Dave for taking a chance on me.”
After the post, fans were quick to speculate whether or not O’Malley would be joining another network or continuing to work on her comedy independently. So, when the Unwell Network announced that it had officially signed O’Malley, fans were absolutely gagged — especially since Alex Cooper (the founder of Unwell) and Barstool Sports have quite the history.
WHat happened between the Unwell Network and Barstool Sports?
Gather ’round — the plot thickens. The founder of the Unwell Network, Alex Cooper, and her podcast Call Her Daddy were originally signed to Barstool Sports in 2018 alongside Cooper’s co-host Sofia Franklyn. However, in 2020, Franklyn, Cooper, and Barstool had a major falling out due to creative differences and a contract dispute regarding Call Her Daddy. Franklyn left the show, but Cooper stayed with Barstool until June 2021, when she signed a $60 million exclusive deal with Spotify, ending her relationship with the network. Cooper officially launched the Unwell Network in 2023.
O’Malley joining the Unwell Network only furthers the internet’s divide between Cooper and Barstool — especially since LaPaglia is still signed to the latter. Am I the only one who can sense some major podcast beef incoming?
When Is Grace O’Malley’s Unwell podcast coming out?
Aside from Unwell’s announcement, not much is known about O’Malley’s involvement with the company. However, since Unwell is known for its roster of podcasts, including Alix Earle’s Hot Mess (which, BTW, LaPaglia just appeared on), it’s safe to assume that O’Malley will get a podcast of her own. Until that announcement, you can find me further untangling this web of internet drama — because I have a feeling it’s not going to stop any time soon.