Why Livvy Dunne doesn’t want to be known as an influencer

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Former gymnastics star and SI Swimsuit model has more than 13.2 million followers combined on TikTok and Instagram.

Published Dec 09, 2025  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  3 minute read

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Livvy Dunne attends the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by Leonardo Munoz / AFP) Article content

She may have more than 13.2 million followers online, but don’t go calling Olivia “Livvy” Dunne an influencer.

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The former Louisiana State University gymnast says that she hasn’t come to terms with that label and would prefer to be known for latest endeavour – modelling.

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Dunne, who reportedly made US$9.5 million while garnering a massive following thanks to NIL (name, image and likeness) deals while competing in college, spoke with Maxim and was revealed on Tuesday as the publication’s winter 2025 cover star.

In an interview with the outlet, Dunne referred to herself as “a former athlete, and honestly, right now: Model” while discussing her efforts to enter the world of acting.

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The 23-year-old Dunne, who boasts 7.9 million followers on TikTok and another 5.3 million on Instagram, scored the cover of the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue earlier this year after making her SI debut in 2023.

Dunne has sights on acting

As for her acting ambitions, she said that she loves “old school” romcoms like Notting Hill and has been working with an acting coach and reading scripts. “Just to not think about what you’re saying” and “really feel what you’re doing,” Dunne said of the lessons she has learned when it comes to acting.

She added that when she was competing, she would “turn off my brain and just let my body do what it knows how to do.”

She hasn’t ruled out partaking in some action scenes, too, citing her background in athletics and gymnastics as giving her an advantage

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“I can do cool action things as well,” Dunne said.

Doing the splits on the runway

Perhaps she was referring to her viral moment earlier this year when, during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, she walked the runway and performed the splits when she got to the end.

The jaw-dropping move quickly went viral, with Dunne sharing the moment along with the caption, “A split decision.”

During an appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast, Dunne said that she had to battle her nerves because she had no experience walking a runway.

“I went to Miami. I had no clue what to expect,” Dunne explained. “I’ve never walked a runway a day in my life. I’ve only ever walked in my bedroom mirror after watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show growing up.”

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Dunne said she decided to do the split because she wanted to show off her personality.

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“I decided right after the rehearsal … I was talking with my sister – I was consulting with only people I knew would agree with me. I was like, ‘Should I do a split?’ And they were like, ‘… Yeah. Just go for it.’ So, I asked the head lady (SI editor MJ Day) and she was like, ‘Honestly, just have fun with it because this is not an ordinary runway …’ And I kinda think dropping into a split would be fun and show my athleticism. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody do it,” Dunne said.

“When watching a fashion show like Sports Illustrated, (people) wanna see personality, they wanna see movement, they wanna see you having the time of your life, because it really was in the moment. It was so fun. And yeah, I oiled myself up and dropped into a split … It was so much fun,” she continued.

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Dunne and Paul Skenes’ relationship

While Dunne rose to Internet fame during the COVID-19 pandemic when her gymnastics videos went viral on social media, her boyfriend is perhaps even more famous.

Dunne has been dating Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes since their time together at LSU, with the ace pitcher going on to become one of baseball’s biggest stars.

Skenes has won the past two NL Cy Young Awards as the league’s best pitcher and Dunne frequently has been spotted cheering him on at his games.

Dunne also spoke with Maxim about her business venture, which aims to help college athletes earn what they deserve through NIL. 

“A recruit that hasn’t even touched foot on a campus yet gets paid $12 million by a booster. That’s not an NIL deal, that’s being paid to play,” she told Maxim, adding “that would never happen with any women’s sport.” 

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