LSU gymnast and social media celebrity Olivia Dunn clapped back at people who asked her to ‘tone down’ her sex appeal online — she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
The 20-year-old athlete, from New Jersey, has been making waves on and off the mat lately — earning more than 3.9 million followers on Instagram and 7.4 million on TikTok by sharing a glimpse into the many perks that come with being a successful NCAA star.
She has made millions of dollars along the way thanks to her many lucrative business deals.
Now, the sensation has added a professional model to her already long list of accomplishments after participating in an amazing photo shoot for SI swimwearNext May issue.
LSU gymnast and social media star Olivia Dunn clapped back at people who asked her to ‘tone down’ her sex appeal online — as she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
The 20-year-old athlete, from New Jersey, has been making waves on and off the mat lately — earning more than 3.9 million followers on Instagram and 7.4 million on TikTok.
Now, the sensation has added a professional model to her already long list of accomplishments, as she recently posed for a stunning photoshoot for the upcoming May issue of SI Swimsuit.
Olivia flaunted her toned body in different bathing suits during the series of photos, which were taken by Ben Watts on a beach in Puerto Rico last January.
While speaking to the publication, the 20-year-old opened up about the overwhelming amount of attention she’s been receiving lately — and revealed how she handles bad comments, especially those about her body.
Olivia flaunted her toned physique in different bathing suits
She’s definitely not afraid to flaunt her figure on social media — but she has blasted allegations that her success only came from her racy posts and addressed the haters who accused her of flaunting too much skin online.
People always comment on things they would never say to your face, so part of it is just developing a tough complexion. “Social media is hard,” she told SI Swimsuit.
I think it’s important to stand up for yourself. Maybe she’s the Jersey girl in me, but I think girls need to know that it’s (not) good (for people to say that), especially (because) I post things every other college kid posts.
(or I’m in) a gown – an outfit required for being a gymnast. It’s absurd.
There are always people who like to belittle your success and say it’s just because of your looks or it’s just luck.
I don’t give this negativity too much attention because it doesn’t deserve it. If I want girls to hear my message, I need to focus on what I have to say and not waste my time defending people who don’t take the time to understand what I’m doing.
While speaking to the publication, the 20-year-old opened up about the overwhelming amount of attention she’s been receiving lately — and revealed how she handles bad comments.
She slammed reports claiming her success only came from her racy posts and addressed haters who accused her of flaunting too much skin online.
People always comment on things they would never say to your face, so part of it is just developing a tough complexion. ‘Social media is hard,’ she told SI Swimsuit.
Olivia has become so popular that large numbers of her (mostly young) fans begin showing up at her get-togethers trying to get a glimpse of her – and on one occasion, they begin to ‘rally’ her and her teammates as they try to leave the competition.
Things became so intense that the police had to be called, and the incident led to LSU gymnasts hiring a permanent bodyguard to accompany her.
She said she now hopes her massive online presence will help put college sports in the spotlight
Then, Olivia took to Twitter to beg her fans to be “respectful,” writing, “I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to meet, I want to ask you to be respectful of other gymnasts and the gymnastics community because we’re just doing our job.”
During her interview with SI Swimsuit, Olivia explained why it’s so important to talk about the situation on Twitter.
“The girls are not responsible for the bad behavior of the boys. A lot of gymnasts are taught to be silent, and that has led to a lot of abuse in the sport,” she said.
I want to be part of the new generation that is asking girls to use their voices. You can be comfortable in yourself and be strong, sexy, and smart.
The player also hopes her massive online presence will help put college sports in the spotlight.
She added, “As an athlete, I hope I can bring attention to how great college sports are and how challenging college athletics can be.”
People don’t see (behind the scenes) every day of college athletics, and it takes a long time.
In gymnastics, a lot of people only watch the Olympics every four years, and I feel like I’ve been able to use my platform to get the audience involved in college gymnastics, and people are starting to see how amazing all these gymnasts are. “
Olivia became so popular that hordes of her fans (mostly young people) started showing up to her get-togethers trying to get a glimpse of her.
On one occasion, they began to “squawk” her and her teammates as they tried to leave the competition
Then, Olivia took to Twitter with an appeal that read: “If you come to meet, I want to ask you please to be respectful.”
During her interview with SI Swimsuit, Olivia explained why it’s important to talk about her on Twitter, saying, “A lot of gymnasts are taught to keep quiet.”
Despite Olivia’s popularity, she was not allowed to make any money from her online endeavors at first – due to the NCAA’s strict policy on selling its members to sponsorships.
That is, until June 30, 2021, when the organization changed its rules, announcing that it would allow athletes to make a profit from their name, image and likeness — a move that turned Olivia into a millionaire at the age of just 18, according to the New York Post.
Since then, she’s landed sponsorships with apparel companies like Vuori, American Eagle, and Forever 21, as well as the Nate app.
“It was all new to me when the rules first changed, but I hope the girls can see what I’ve been doing, and that I can inspire them to grow their own personal brands,” she concluded.
Despite Olivia’s popularity, she was not allowed to make any money from her online endeavors at first
She added, “I hope I can bring attention to how great college sports are and how tough college athletics can be.” “People don’t see (behind the scenes) of it, it’s a waste of time.”
She also wants to use her voice to “fight for women to get fair treatment when it comes to sponsorship deals.”
Most of the money raised for the NIL goes to pools for men’s sports like soccer or basketball, and I don’t agree with that.
I can use my voice to continue to fight for women to get fair treatment when it comes to bar none deals, because they deserve it.
I’m just getting started on it, but I want to make my mark and bring attention to the issue that needs to be spoken about.
I want to show little girls that you can have it all, and you don’t need to choose between anything you’re passionate about. I think you need to define your own expectations for success and your big dreams.
