NYC Doorman Reveals The Controversial Celebrity That Paid Him The Biggest Tip He’s Ever Received
DJSully | Shutterstock One NYC doorman revealed the celebrity who gave him his biggest tip, while also taking the time to have a “deep conversation” with him. The thing is, a lot of people don’t have a great opinion of this person.
Doormen are a staple in big cities like New York, but they’re often easily overlooked. As sad as it may sound, most people don’t really think of giving doormen more thought than what is required to smile and nod, or occasionally tip. And, of course, the average person doesn’t have unlimited funds to tip super generously.
This is one area where star power can be really helpful. There are plenty of stories about people in the service industry encountering celebrities who make a world of difference by leaving a big tip.
The doorman revealed that the celebrity who gave him his biggest tip was Zach Bryan.
Sara Leeds started the TikTok account Doorman Stories to shine a light on the special people who keep New York City running. In a recent conversation with one doorman, he revealed that singer-songwriter Zach Bryan used to live in his building, and he was actually a pretty great guy.
“Shoutout to Zach Bryan, by the way,” he said. “I hope he remembers me. When I first started in 2022 … he was living here. He’s like, ‘Yo, just watch my Jeep.’ And this was before he blew up. This was, like, maybe six months before he got really famous. Throws me a hundred dollars. I’m like, ‘What?’ I’ve never seen a hundred-dollar tip. Like, never. I was so humbled that day.”
The doorman described Bryan as “such a nice guy,” which caught Leeds a bit off guard. “Gotta say, it’s interesting that he was such a nice guy to you, ‘cause he isn’t the internet’s favorite person right now,” she said.
The doorman conceded, “He’s definitely not. But, me personally, the interactions that I’ve had with Zach Bryan, I’m gonna say that he was very nice to me. He was super humble, and we actually had a deep conversation about his time, like, in the Navy and stuff like that.”
Zach Bryan has had his fair share of bad publicity in the past, so this doorman might be doing him a favor.
Bryan burst onto the music scene pretty suddenly a few years ago with hits like “Something in the Orange” that quickly went viral. He seemed like a nice guy who cared about his fans, but people began to question his reputation after his ex-girlfriend, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, accused him of emotional abuse.
According to People Magazine, LaPaglia shared some of her experiences on the “BFFs Podcast” that she co-hosts with Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards. “The last year of my life has been the hardest year of my life, dealing with the abuse from this dude,” she said. “I’m still scared right now because I’m scared of him.”
LaPaglia alleged that Bryan pressured his exes into signing NDAs to cover up his tracks. She said she was offered $12 million to keep quiet.
Bryan might not have the best standing in pop culture right now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still be a down-to-earth guy who tips well.
If LaPaglia’s allegations are true, it’s a pretty bad look for Bryan. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s completely evil. He felt like he should tip this particular doorman well, and giving up $100 for him to watch his car probably wasn’t an easy thing to do before he gained the kind of fame that brings in the big bucks.
Katrina Paisano | Wikimedia Commons
This is also far from the first time Bryan has done something nice for others. In 2023, Bryan teamed up with San Francisco 49ers player Christian McCaffrey to donate all proceeds from his song “El Dorado” to McCaffrey’s foundation that supports troops.
A year later, he and Bud Light donated $1 million each to Folds of Honor, an organization that gives scholarships to military spouses and children. And, in 2025, Bryan purchased a former church building in Lowell, Massachusetts, so it could be converted into the Jack Kerouac Center.
When talking to the doorman, Leeds proclaimed, “We found a Zach Bryan apologist!” With all the good the musician does in the world, there’s a good chance he’s not the only one.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
