Olivia Dunne's latest TikTok with Paul Skenes highlights power couple's contrasting priorities while watching NFL games
Gymnastics are near and dear to Olivia Dunne. An LSU gymnast, Dunne has ridden the coattails of her athletic prowess to millionaire status.
A native of New Jersey, Dunne began to gain attention for posting videos of her gymnastics routines on TikTok during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Before long, she was wracking up hundreds of thousands and then millions of views.
As such, Dunne has become something of an overnight sensation. With over ten million followers on TikTok, the 21-year old has her every move watched and reported on by millions.
In a recent upload, Olivia Dunne shared a video of her and her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, at a New Orleans Saints game at the Superdome. There, she made light of Skenes focus on the game, while she insinuated that she was only interested in the cheerleading routines on display.
Paul Skenes graduated from LSU earlier this year after going 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA. At 21, Skenes was the Pittsburgh Pirates first overall selection at the 2023 MLB Draft last June.
Dunne benefitted directly from a 2021 NCAA rule change that allowed college athletes to draw financial benefit from their name, image and likeness. Ever since, Dunne has become fabulously wealthy.
In 2023, it was reported that the young starlet was paid some $50,000 for making a single social media post.
"BREAKING - Per sources close to Paul Skenes, it’s believed that the former LSU star and Pittsburgh Pirates #1 overall pick is indeed dating LSU gymnast and TikTok star Olivia “Livvy” Dunne.
"Dunne was spotted at the Pirates’ complex in Bradenton, FL with a Pirates hoodie on" - Mo Sports
While the fame has been transformative, it has not come without downsides. Now recognized nationally, Dunne has remarked that she required a full-time security detail and no longer attends in-person classes at LSU, citing concerns for her safety.
Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes are already becoming an athletic power couple
For a long time, Justin Verlander and Kate Upton were seen as baseball's "power couple". However, the young pair from LSU have already established a much larger social media presence, and appear poised only to see that grow.
With 2024 opening day drawing nearer and nearer, it's possible that Paul Skenes makes his MLB debut. With a social media superstar like Olivia Dunne behind him, Skenes might become one of the most popular players in baseball before even taking to the field.