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LSU star gymnast Olivia Dunne has had a wild year – both good and bad.
Dunne has emerged as a national star beyond the boundaries of social media as she helped LSU reached the NCAA Championships during the 2023 gymnastics season. Her success in the gym only compounded her social media following and also led to several name, image and likeness (NIL) endorsements, including being in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.
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Olivia Dunne prior to a meet against Auburn at Neville Arena on Feb. 10, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)
The rise in her fame has also brought along the scary side that no one – whether 21 years old, older or younger – should have to face. An incident forced Dunne out of the classroom and increased security around the Tigers team during gymnastics meets.
"I love getting to know the people that follow me and what I do, so I always try to say hi to everybody I can that recognizes me when I’m out in public and I always try to take a picture," she told NJ.com in a story published Tuesday. "But this past year, it’s been a bit crazy.
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LSU Tigers gymnast Olivia Dunne during a meet between the LSU Tigers and the Florida Gators on Feb. 17, 2023, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"I had a scare once with a message that I got about a class I was going to, and I was like, you know what, it’s not worth it," she added. "It was a threat. It seemed like they knew where I was at and what class, and I just decided better (to be) safe than sorry."
Dunne first mentioned she no longer attended in-person classes in an interview with Elle magazine. However, NJ.com reported, citing a 2021 police report, she received a threatening message from someone who said they would "shoot up" the school. There was no arrest made after an investigation.
Separately, LSU coach Jay Clark called police when an unidentified man was seen in the team facility watching the gymnasts. A police report was filed, but no charges were filed, according to the outlet.
Fans of Olivia Dunne of LSU hold up signs prior to a meet against Auburn at Neville Arena on Feb. 10, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)
Things came to a fever pitch when a rowdy group of fans came to the University of Utah to cheer on Dunne. Dunne had to urge her massive social media fan base to be "respectful" at events.
Dunne is entering her senior season with LSU. The New Jersey native was on the 2023 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll. She only appeared in four meets last season due to an injury but recorded a season-high 9.850 on the bars when it mattered the most – the SEC Championships.
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LSU’s season begins Jan. 5 against Ohio State.
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