If you’ve spent any time on the corner of the internet where LA nightlife meets pop stardom, you know these two names. Zack Bia and Madison Beer. For a solid year, they were the "It" couple that seemed to define a specific era of West Hollywood cool. They were photographed outside The Nice Guy, front row at Paris Fashion Week, and all over each other's Instagram stories.
Then, it just stopped.
The breakup wasn't just a quiet exit; it was messy, cryptic, and fueled a decade’s worth of fan theories. Honestly, the timeline of their relationship is a chaotic mix of "Teenager in Love" energy and "Selfish" heartbreak.
The Timeline: From Poppy to Paris
It all started back in late 2017. Madison had just come out of a high-profile and, by her own account, difficult relationship with Jack Gilinsky. By December, she was being spotted with Zack Bia. At the time, Zack wasn't the massive record executive and DJ he is today. He was mostly known as the right-hand man to H.Wood Group's John Terzian, a guy who basically held the keys to the most exclusive doors in Los Angeles.
By February 2, 2018, the romance was official. Madison dropped her EP As She Pleases, featuring the track "Teenager in Love." Zack basically confirmed the song was about him on Instagram. You’ve probably heard the lyrics—they describe that dizzying, "strawberry skies" kind of honeymoon phase.
But the honeymoon didn't last.
The couple became infamous for an on-again, off-again cycle that kept the tabloids busy. In July 2018, TMZ caught them in a massive, tearful argument outside a restaurant. It looked bad. Fans thought it was over right then. But by New Year's Eve, they were back together, ringing in 2019 with a public kiss. They even jetted off to Paris for Fashion Week in January 2019, sitting front row at the Off-White show.
Then came March.
The Breakup That Inspired "Selfish"
In March 2019, the wheels finally fell off for good. Madison didn't just delete her photos; she took to Twitter (now X) with some heavy-hitting shade. She tweeted, “Single Madison thrives,” and followed it up with a line that stuck: “Oof i rlly owe myself the biggest apology for puttin up w shit i never deserved.”
Ouch.
That sentiment eventually morphed into "Selfish," Madison's 2020 breakout hit. While she hasn't always explicitly named Zack in every interview, the parallels are hard to ignore. When she sings about a guy who "spent it all in nightclubs" and "thought you gave me real love," fans immediately pointed the finger at Zack, given his professional life revolves around nightlife.
Why did Zack Bia and Madison Beer break up?
The "why" is usually a mix of two things:
- The Lifestyle: Zack’s career as a promoter and DJ means he’s constantly surrounded by the "scene." For a relationship, that's a lot of noise.
- The Dynamic: Madison’s cryptic tweets suggested a lack of respect or effort on his part. She’s spoken about trying to "fix" people in her past relationships, and it seems this one hit that same wall.
Where Are They Now?
Despite the "assholes and people who don't care about you" tweets from 2019, things seem to have settled into a weirdly mature place.
Zack Bia's profile has exploded. He’s now the co-founder of Field Trip Recordings, he’s close with Drake, and he’s been linked to other superstars like Olivia Rodrigo and Madelyn Cline. In a 2023 interview with GQ, Zack actually touched on his past with Madison. He claimed there is "so much love there" and even said Madison apologized for the backlash he got after "Selfish" blew up.
Madison, meanwhile, has found more stability. She’s been in a long-term relationship with Nick Austin since 2020. She seems to have moved past the "teenager in love" drama and into a phase of her career where she controls her own narrative.
What You Can Learn From This
Looking back at the Zack Bia and Madison Beer era, it’s a masterclass in why public "fixing" rarely works. If you find yourself relating to the lyrics of "Selfish," here are some actionable steps to protect your peace:
- Audit your "apology" list: Like Madison tweeted, sometimes the person you owe the biggest apology to is yourself for staying in a situation that didn't serve you.
- Recognize the "Nightclub" Trap: If your partner’s life is built on external validation and the "scene," it’s incredibly hard to build a private, grounded foundation. Set boundaries early.
- Trust the art, but keep the growth: It's okay to vibe to the breakup songs, but don't let the drama of your 20s define your 30s.
If you’re still following their careers, the best way to keep up is to track Zack’s label releases under Field Trip Recordings or check out Madison’s latest album, Silence Between Songs, which shows just how much she’s evolved since the 2019 tabloid drama.
