“There’s something about putting on a purple and gold leotard.” We get it, Livvy. Preparing herself for the last time she dons the Tigers gear? Not easy at all. No wonder it was an emotional scene at PMAC this Friday. Tears, hugs, nostalgia— the air was thick with all the feels. Yes, Olivia Dunne may no longer be competing due to her avulsion fracture, but she was right there to bid a final goodbye to LSU. However, shortly after, the sentimental farewell turned bitter. The mood took a sharp turn. Something forced Livvy to break her silence. But what?

July 8, 2024. Olivia Dunne had posted, “Dear LSU, these past four years have changed my life.” Looking back, one can say they surely have. After all, Livvy had been with the LSU since she was 18. And she’s truly seen it all. The NIL fame, the NCAA title, and more. But when COVID-19 struck and cut her season short, the college (as per the NCAA provision for D1 universities) gave her an option: a fifth-year return. After endless speculation, last July, she took it. But that landed her in the line of fire with a few fans. Still, she kept calm all year. But not anymore.

3 days ago, March 10, Olivia Dunne added a TikTok rant video, answering back a troll who had commented, “Don’t worry you’ll be a senior for the next 10 years.” Now that’s harsh sarcasm. But Livvy decided she would no longer continue to be criticized for this rational decision. Thus, she decided it was time to school the troll in front of her 8 million followers. “I don’t really understand what’s so hard to get? I came to college in 2020, got granted a fifth-year because of COVID and I came back for the fifth year,” she said. Well, yeah, it’s that simple.

But unwarranted comments like these make even the smallest things blow out of proportion. And Olivia Dunne? Yeah, she had enough. No wonder she questioned, “I only see this comment on female athletes’ posts, and why do you care if I come back for a fifth year and have another year of eligibility? Like, why do you care?”  She even drew comparisons with other sports like basketball and football where players keep opting for fifth-year returns ‘all the time.’ An example? She came loaded with that, too. “The starting quarterback of LSU [Garrett Nussmeier] is coming back for a fifth year, this comment is nowhere to be found on his account.”

Olivia Dunne then asked the trolls to stop caring about what she’s doing with her life. “To the people saying it’s greedy to come back, I gave up my scholarship to somebody else so I can come back. So please stop, thank you,” she added. Clearly we’re seeing a different side to Livvy this year. She’s not keeping quiet. She’s choosing to clap back. And do so publically. After all, she’s not had it easy either. Before becoming the highest paid NIL female, she struggled with the amount of eyes on her. Sometimes, she couldn’t even breathe.

But here’s what the fans are saying about this ‘rare Livvy crashout.’

Do fans support Olivia Dunne’s stance or oppose it?

Olivia Dunne did not mince her words this time. And it’s safe to say, neither did her fans. Even the bit where the NIL star mentioned giving up her scholarship in the final year got her trolled once again. “Millionaire gives up scholarship is a wild thing to brag about,” commented one the fans. Well, Livvy does have an estimated NIL worth of $4.1 million. She’s the only female gymnast in the top 100 NIL earners list. But, clearly, her gesture wasn’t significant enough for a few particular fans.

Also, now that Olivia Dunne stated her points, counterarguments from the fans were ready. One of them cited Livvy’s words and said, “U only see this on female athletes post? Lmao go look at Stetson Bennett and Chad Baker Mazara’s comment section. Don’t turn this into a gender thing.”

Many fans held this that they criticized the male athletes as much as they did to the female ones for a fifth year return. And the LA Rams player Bennett and Auburn basketball’s Chad Baker Mazara were cited the most by the fans. Clearly, Livvy’s argument that this wouldn’t happen in basketball or football didn’t stand any longer.

Well, comment after comment, the war of words just kept getting brutal. To the point where a fan blamed Olivia Dunne, “You took a spot off of someone on the lsu gymnastics team…” Since 2024, many fans have opined, “With or without her, they got this!” But none of this in any way was backed by any LSU gymnast.

In fact, Livvy had confessed that she was the closest to the LSU freshmen and the whole group of girls. Yes, being a D1 athlete is a grind, but getting to share the mats with her best friends one last time? Who wouldn’t want that? This and only this seemed to be Livvy’s thought behind the return. 

But not everyone thought it was wrong of her. Some advised her not to read very deeply into this. One of them commented, “Don’t let the mean people get to you. You do you!” Well, this is highly unlikely Olivia Dunne this season. Even after the NCAA perfect 10s started dipping, and she noticed lesser people in the stands during meets, Olivia Dunne had spoken out against the scoring system. 

Even Sam Hurley, the Texas Longhorn track and field athlete with a hefty NIL background, chimed into the comment section and tried reassuring Olivia Dunne with his experience. He wrote, “I’ve been getting that comment since my freshman year. people are too worried about others.” That’s when Olivia Dunne agreed. “FR since my sophomore year😭🙏”.

What do you think about this? Has Olivia Dunne done the correct thing? Let us know below!