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In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 12 months, let’s introduce you do Olivia Dunne.
Dunne, who’s known as Livvy thanks to her social media handles, is the most popular women’s college athlete on the planet. In fact, she may well be the most popular college athlete regardless of gender.
The 20-year-old LSU gymnast has 3.1 million followers on her Instagram. But that pails in comparison to her 6.8 million followers on TikTok.
But as Dunne’s popularity continues to skyrocket, so do safety concerns around her and her LSU gymnastics teammates. The team was recently forced to add to extra security following a meet at Utah where the LSU bus was swarmed by a raving group of teenage boy fans.
Dunne sat down with NBC’S Stephanie Gosk of The Today Show recently to discuss her fame, how she’s dealt with it, and her security concerns going forward.
Olivia Dunne Reveals Previous ‘Concerning’ Incidents With Fans
Dunne produces content of various varieties. Her Instagram and TikTok feature dance videos, dubs, and pictures of her in various outfits.
But it’s led to a following that sometimes feels a little too comfortable around the budding star.
“Yeah, there are some people, occasionally, that do reach out,” she said. “And it is a bit concerning.”
Dunne also revealed that university officials had to go to police last year over an incident involving a social media follower. But she adds that the nature of her content isn’t an excuse for the dangerous behavior.
“As a woman, you’re not responsible for how a man looks at you and objectifies you,” Dunne said. “That’s not a woman’s responsibility.”
Though not everyone agrees with her point of view. Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer has criticized Dunne in the past for her content.
“I guess sometimes we have this swinging pendulum, where we maybe take two steps forward, and then we take a step back,” “We’re fighting for all the opportunities to compete, to play, to have resources, to have facilities, to have coaches, and all the things that go with Olympic-caliber athletics.
This is a step back”
LSU coach Jay Clark disagreed with VanDerveer, calling Dunne’s social media a form of self-expression that should be encouraged.
But one thing is certain, as long as Dunne’s content is making her seven figures, no one can argue with the results.