Olivia Dunne, the gymnastics superstar with a booming social media presence, is no stranger to the spotlight. She’s raking in millions thanks to the NCAA’s new NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) policies, but it’s not all glitz and glam. With fame comes its fair share of challenges, and Dunne hasn’t been immune to the darker side. She recently opened up about this in the LSU documentary, The Money Game, where she credited LSU and an entity for keeping her safe in the whirlwind of it all.

Dunne knows her popularity can sometimes attract unwanted attention. She told The New York Post, “I think that they knew coming into season last year, like, what to expect with me and the people that followed me and the people that came to the meet and they took precaution.” When you’ve got 8.1 million TikTok followers and 5.3 million on Instagram, it’s not all love and likes—it can get a little dangerous.

One tense moment captured in the docuseries involved her MLB All-Star boyfriend, Paul Skeenes, stepping in as her personal bodyguard. He had to escort her out of a meet after a random man showed up. But according to Dunne, this is where LSU truly shines. They’ve been proactive in protecting her from the start. “I think LSU’s done a really good job with helping their athletes and especially me and my circumstances,” Dunne said. “We have a security guard now and he’s the best. His name is Brian. Shoutout Brian.”

Talk about feeling like a VIP! Dunne gave kudos to LSU for making her feel “extremely safe” on campus, saying their security setup isn’t just about her but every young athlete. And let’s be real: it’s not her first security rodeo.

Last year, things got pretty wild at an LSU meet against the Utah Red Rocks. Dunne was sidelined due to an injury, but that didn’t stop a group of overly enthusiastic fans. Armed with posters and a full-sized cutout of Dunne, they disrupted other gymnasts’ routines, chanting, “We want Livvy! Give us Livvy!” Even outside the arena, it was mayhem. ESPN analyst Sam Peszek tweeted a video of the raucous scene, calling it “so scary and disturbing and cringey.”

Dunne responded to the incident on X, saying, “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.” LSU head coach Jay Clark quickly jumped into action, announcing that the team would now have a security detail for road trips. “We will be working to create a perimeter around where we get on the bus, where we load,” he explained.

It seems like LSU is taking no chances with their star athlete’s safety. But don’t get it twisted; Olivia Dunne’s life isn’t just about dealing with the downside. Thanks to those lucrative NIL deals, she’s living the dream. Reflecting on her journey, Dunne revealed an incident that changed her life forever!

Olivia Dunne’s crowning moment came 3 years ago

Olivia Dunne has a long list of NIL endorsements that include brands like Snapchat, Nautica, American Eagle, Microsoft, Purina, and many more. But all these would not have happened if the Supreme Court did not ask the NCAA to revise its rules. Earlier, the NCAA athletes were not allowed to endorse a brand and were also prohibited from reaping the monetary benefits associated with the deals. But everything changed in 2021 when the NCAA updated its Name, Image, and Likeness rules and opened the doors for athlete sponsorships. 

This came like a boon to several athletes like Olivia Dunne, whose life changed drastically since then. Acknowledging the shift of fortunes, Dunne stated on ‘The Money Game’, “On July 1, 2021 the NIL rule changed. That’s the day my life changed.” She also welcomed the decision with open arms, emphasizing how it was significantly beneficial for young athletes.

Dunne mentioned that an NCAA athlete getting the chance to potentially earn seven figures from the NIL deals is a massive step forward for the expansion and popularization of college sports in the future. Thus, experiencing both the ups and downs of her skyrocketing fame, Olivia Dunne surely looks to be the next big thing on the US gymnastics horizon.