Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia Dunne hit back at a fan who left a derogatory comment on one of her TikTok videos.
Dunne, 20, responded to the sleazy comment, which simply read “mom” and the heart emoji, with a video of her saying, “No, I’m not going to crush your skull with my thighs.” Besides, I’m not your mommy.”
The incident comes just weeks after Dunne came forward to address the “worrying” behavior of male fans at meetings and competitions. She also spoke of “threatening” comments she receives online.
The collegiate athlete and TikTok star has garnered a huge following over the past year, but in recent months he’s spoken candidly about the unfortunate annoyances that have come with it.
In January, LSU said the team hired extra security after “rude” teenagers tried to bully Dunne at an event in Utah.
Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia Dunne, 20, hit back at a fan who left a derogatory comment on one of her TikTok videos
LSU’s Dunne warms up on the uneven bars during a gymnastics meeting against Auburn February 10 at Neville Arena
“They gave us some new rules just to protect us: we’re not allowed to go into the stands after meetings, and we have a new security person traveling with us,” Dunne said on the Today Show.
The recent incident involving the Utah fans wasn’t the first time their coaches have raised concerns about their safety. She also revealed that LSU went to the police “about an incident” last year, but didn’t share any further details.
“As a woman, you are not responsible for how a man looks at you and objectifies you. That’s not a woman’s responsibility,” she said.
Her overwhelming social media fame has forced her – and her coaches – to implement new rules and regulations to keep athletes safe.
‘[Social media] changes everything,” said Dunne’s LSU coach Jay Clark. “It creates a false sense of accessibility and familiarity [makes] Followers feel like there is a personal connection.”
This was illustrated during the LSU meeting in Utah.
“In the past I’ve gotten some of my supporters to get together and watch and cheer for LSU, but that was crazy. It really was,’ Olivia said of the disturbing incident.
At the time, Olivia shared a personal request with her fans on Twitter, asking them to be “respectful” to her fellow gymnasts.
“I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but when you come to a meeting I would like to ask you to be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job,” she wrote.
Dunne’s fame has gotten so intense lately that her followers have started waiting outside to meet up
Dunne (pictured January 13) has not attended the team’s meetings recently due to an injury
Dunne’s LSU coach Jay Clark said he wants to make sure fans can get autographs from the gymnasts but insisted his athlete’s safety was a priority
Clark said Tuesday a security officer will now be traveling with the team to competitions for the remainder of the season.
“This person will be at our hotel and outside our dressing room, taking us to and from the bus at the venue,” he told The Advocate/Times-Picayune. ‘[The officer] will be there to create a perimeter that will keep everyone safe.
Clark said he wanted to make sure fans could get autographs of the gymnasts but insisted the athlete’s safety was a priority.
“Things have to change. We just can’t expose them,’ Clark added. “We’re looking at some policy changes that would allow parents to have access to their daughters in a different location.”
Dunne is now among several female athletes rising to the ranks of millionaires through Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals – a new phenomenon that is allowing collegiate athletes to generate separate income and profits from their careers.
Dunne makes almost $2 million a year from sponsorships and photos on social media.
After years of competing, she made her elite debut at the 2014 American Classics and three years later joined the US National Team in gymnastics. In 2020, she left elite gymnastics to compete at LSU at the collegiate level.
The LSU gymnastics team adds an extra layer of safety for the rest of the season after a gang of “rude” teenagers attempted to bully Dunne at an event in Utah
Dunne makes almost $2 million a year from sponsorships and photos on social media
Her most recent earnings stem from her rise as an influencer – posting sponsored ads on her social media pages.
Some of her recent deals have been with American Eagle Outfitters and Vuori Activewear.
She grew her fan base on social media by sharing a glimpse into her life as an NCAA gymnast — becoming the most-followed collegiate athlete on the web with more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram and 6.3 million on TikTok.
However, due to the NCAA’s strict guidelines on the sale of sponsorship money by its members, she was initially banned from making money from her internet activities.
That is, until June 30, 2021, when the organization changed its rules and announced that it would allow its athletes to make a profit using their name, image and likeness.
A month later, Olivia signed with Endeavor Talent Agency’s WME Sports and announced in September that she had partnered with activewear brand Vuori – which, according to Forbes, was worth “a mid-six figure sum”.
In terms of gymnastics, Dunne is “getting back on track” after suffering a foot injury last year.
Despite not competing, her team narrowly beat the University of Florida 198,100 to 197,975 Friday night at LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center — Florida’s first loss of the season.