LSU Gymnast Olivia Dunne has revealed that there were some security “scares” in class that prevented her from being able to attend classes at the school.
The 20-year-old gymnast who has become the highest-paid NCAA female athlete recently told Elle magazine that she no longer attends class in person.
“There were some scares in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible,” Dunne told the magazine. “I don’t want people to know my daily schedule and where I am.”
The gymnast noted that her high-profile life online has led to many threats, and she finds that part of public life “a bit concerning.”
Dunne also said that despite living much of her life online for fans to see, she has been careful to keep her love life out of the spotlight.
One example of a “safety issue” was seen in Jan. when she showed up at the Tigers’ season opener against Utah in Salt Lake City.
Her appearance sparked hundreds of young fans to show up at the Jon M. Huntsman Center to catch a glimpse of Dunne. It was a crowd big enough to elicit a large police presence to keep things orderly.
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne attends as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Celebrates the 2023 Issue Release with Swimsuit Island at The Guitar Hotel at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on May 20, 2023 in Hollywood, Florida. (Alberto Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)
Dunne told Elle that the incident surprised everyone.
“It was our first meet of the season,” Dunne explained. “I knew that my success had grown from the years prior, but I did not expect there to be that many people out there to see me and my team.
“I didn’t really realize until after the meet when I saw the videos of it. I was like, ‘Holy moly.'”
Olivia Dunne of LSU warms up on the uneven bars during a gymnastics meet against Auburn at Neville Arena on February 10, 2023, in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)
Dunne has been unapologetic over her looks.
“It’s not a girl’s responsibility how a man looks at her or how he acts, especially when you’re doing your sport and that’s your uniform,” the gymnast said. “I can’t help the way I look, and I’m going to post what I feel comfortable with. It’s hard to handle at times, definitely, because I am just a 20-year-old student. I think people do forget that.”
Some of the notoriety may be about to wane as she comes into her final college year. But in the meantime, she is enjoying being in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, and earning millions flogging products, including L’Oréal, Spotify, Forever 21, Motorola, American Eagle, Grubhub, ESPN College GameDay, and energy drink Accelerator.
@livvy So excited to join #TeamAccelerator!! Best energy drink out @Accelerator ♬ original sound – Olivia Dunne
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