“I fear I’m being stalked.” With those chilling words, Olivia Dunne, former NCAA gymnastics star and social media icon, turned the internet silent. Well, almost. Because if you’re a celebrity with over 5 million followers, some people think fear just comes with the fame. But sometimes, fans take things way too far. And when they do, it stops being admiration and starts becoming something darker. That’s exactly what Dunne exposed this weekend, and what followed was a messy storm of concern, confusion, and, surprisingly, criticism.

In a now-viral TikTok, Olivia Dunne broke down the terrifying reality, “I fear I’m being stalked and I don’t know what to do,” She says she faces nearly every time she travels a group of at least 10 middle-aged men waiting at the terminal, shouting her name, and chasing her with stacks of 40 photos or magazines for her to sign. Not fans. Not kids. Middle-aged men who chase her through TSA lines and crowd her at baggage claim.

She even shared a video of herself crying after a red-eye flight, shaken by yet another encounter. “It’s crazy,” she said. “It needs to stop because it’s scary for girls. It’s weird.” What’s worse is that Dunne believes this isn’t just a coincidence; it feels targeted. Even when she has a connecting flight, the same men show up. She speculates it has something to do with the airline hinting that someone may be tipping them off about her travel plans.

And Dunne made it clear: she’s not the only one. “The worst part is, it’s not only me,” she added. She recalled Olympian Gabby Thomas also speaking out about being followed from city to city by the same types of men, ones who become hostile and aggressive when rejected. So, even though Olivia Dunne’s video was super emotional, the response this time around was supportive and full of sympathy.

Honestly, that says a lot. Too often, when women athletes say they feel unsafe, people just brush it off like it’s no big deal, as if being famous means you’re supposed to be used to it or can’t be scared. But this isn’t just some airport hassle. It’s about personal space, safety, and respect. Just because you’re in the public eye doesn’t mean you lose the right to feel safe or to cry when that safety feels gone.

Olivia didn’t share this for attention; she shared it because she’s genuinely scared. And the fans showed up big time, flooding her with encouragement, helpful ideas, and zero judgment.

Support from the stands as fans speak up against Olivia Dunne’s harassment

Julz, Olivia Dunne’s sister, said, “It’s actually the scariest thing I’ve ever seen.” And Gabby Thomas totally gets it, she commented, “Girl!! So sad that because we’re good at what we do, people feel like they should have constant access to us, and give us travel anxiety. Glad you’re speaking up too 🙈.” Gabby’s been through this herself, so she knows exactly what Olivia’s dealing with.

Back in a TikTok video on January 28, 2025, Gabby opened up about these groups of men stalking her at airports like Chicago and Miami. They keep demanding autographs on tons of photos, and when she says no, they get “aggressive and hostile.” She admitted, “At this point, every time I travel, I’m afraid that these men… are going to show up and harass me.” What makes it even worse?

These guys seem to have access to her flight info. Gabby said, “They show up either at the front door of the airport, at the correct concourse, or they show up at my gate, which means they have flight tickets and they get past security.” Even though she’s tried stuff like changing her email passwords to stay safe, she still feels unsettled by it all. One fan even urged, “Please get some security/bodyguards!! This is so scary.”

Meanwhile, another advised, “You should look into hiring a private investigator firm and have them look into it. I would say call law enforcement, but they won’t do anything until a crime has been committed.” As Olivia Dunne’s profile has blown up, not just as an influencer but also as the girlfriend of Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes, the demand from autograph dealers has gone through the roof, especially with how hot her stuff is on the resale market.

Livvy first caught major attention on TikTok and Instagram, sharing everything from gymnastics moves to lifestyle stuff and just vibing with her fans. Her mix of athletic skill and down-to-earth personality helped her rack up millions of followers and become a full-on influencer. But she didn’t stop there. Livvy made history by landing the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 2025 for the third year in a row, proving she’s not just a sports star but a fashion and pop culture icon, too.

With brand deals from Vuori, American Eagle, Nautica, and more, she’s killing it on all fronts. One fan said, “This is called being a celebrity. All that money comes at a cost.” Another pointed out, “People don’t realize that celebrities and others with big followings are real people and have real feelings too. It’s genuinely awful that people can’t respect anyone’s space and feelings.”

And someone else added, “I’m so sorry, Livvy, who would do such a thing?” This kind of invasive behavior isn’t new to Olivia Dunne. Back in January 2023, during a gymnastics meet at the University of Utah, a group of teenage boys caused a scene by chanting her name and holding up life-size cutouts even though Olivia wasn’t competing because of an injury.

They waited outside the arena, and it got so intense that LSU had to move their team bus to avoid the crowd. Olivia later tweeted, “I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community, as we are just doing our job ❤️.”

Since then, LSU has stepped up security, traveling with a security officer and creating a safety perimeter around the team. Olivia Dunne, at that point, also stopped attending in-person classes at LSU after receiving a safety threat back in 2021. And with everything that happened, it deserves action. Because stalking should never be part of the job.