Olivia Dunne Says She Can't Go to LSU Classes Anymore Over 'Safety' Concerns Due to Internet Fame

Olivia Dunne has gained a lot of popularity outside of gymnastics.

By Brian Jones

Olivia Dunne has made some changes due to her instant fame. The 20-year-old gymnast recently spoke to Elle Magazine about how she can't attend classes at LSU in person anymore "for safety reasons." Dunne is the most followed athlete in college sports with 13 million followers across her platforms. 

"There were some scares in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible," she said. "I don't want people to know my daily schedule and where I am." One notable incident happened earlier this year when a group of teenage boys mobbed Dunne's team's gymnastics meet in Salt Lake City. It was so bad that the police had to be called. Dunne did not compete in the meet due to an injury. 

"It was our first meet of the season. 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," Olivia says. "I didn't really realize until after the meet when I saw the videos of it. I was like, 'Holy moly.'"   

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Dunne went on to say that she is not responsible for the behavior of her fans. "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. I can't help the way I look, and I'm going to post what I feel comfortable with," she said. "It's hard to handle at times, definitely, because I am just a 20-year-old student. I think people do forget that."

Dunne joined the LSU gymnastics team in 2020, which is around the same time she joined TikTok. She gained popularity on the social media platform due to her videos, and when the NCAA changed its rule to allow athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL), companies began contacting Dunne, and she is now the highest-valued women's college athlete with an estimated NIL valuation of $3.3 million. This past season, Dunne appeared in four meets for the Tigers. She recorded a season-high of 9.850 on the high bars at the SEC Championships and was named to Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll. 

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