Olivia Dunne’s life was never the same after the NCAA’s historic decision to allow athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) in 2021.
The 20-year-old star LSU gymnast — who is currently the NCAA’s highest-paid female athlete, earning seven figures — told Elle magazine that she no longer attends classes in person for “safety reasons.”
“There were some scares in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible,” Dunne said in the profile piece, which was published on Tuesday. “I don’t want people to know my daily schedule and where I am.”
Dunne — who has 11.9 million followers on TikTok and Instagram combined — is aware she has more eyes on her, and explained that she is careful while walking around the Baton Rouge campus, where fellow students often approach her for photos.
Despite sharing much of her life on social media, Dunne, who is currently single, said she plans to keep that part of her life private.
Safety concerns have been at the forefront for Dunne as she continues to navigate social media stardom and being a leader of the NIL era.
In a separate interview in January, Dunne told “Today” that her massive social media following has generated threatening comments, adding that “it is a bit concerning.”
That came just two weeks after Dunne made headlines when a massive crowd of screaming male fans showed up at the Tigers’ season opener against Utah in Salt Lake City.
At the time, teenage boys showed up to the Jon M. Huntsman Center with signs asking the gymnast for photos and follows on social media — while others formed lines outside the venue demanding Dunne’s presence.
The fan attention sparked a police presence at the gymnastics meet, which led to LSU implementing new security measures.
There hasn’t been a similar issue since, according to Elle.
“It was our first meet of the season,” Dunne told the magazine. “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.’”
Dunne — a New Jersey native, who is entering her senior year on a full athletic scholarship at LSU — explained that it can be difficult to handle the heightened attention at times.
“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,” she 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.”
Dunne was the first college athlete to sign with WME Sports agency less than two months after the NIL rule change.
In September 2022, she announced her NIL first deal, reportedly worth six figures, with Vuori, an activewear brand.
Dunne’s brand portfolio now includes deals with Accelerator, L’Oréal, Spotify, Forever 21, Motorola, American Eagle, Grubhub, ESPN College GameDay and YouTube.
She attended the 2023 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 12 — which came a few months after she made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in the 2023 issue in April.
As for what’s next for Dunne following her senior year at LSU?
“I know it’s coming to an end, so I’m trying to take in every single last memory I can, but I’m also excited to see what the future holds,” Dunne told Elle, adding that she is considering moving to Malibu, New York City, or Florida after graduation.
“Probably I’ll end up near a beach, I’m guessing,” she said. “Then I can just honestly go back to what I started doing. I could flip around on the beach. I could.
“That’s how it all happened. All of this… All these followers and this life.”
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