Livvy Dunne defends kissing trophy from ‘benchwarmer’ haters for LSU national title

The viral gymnast and influencer addresses the worst trolling she’s experienced on Flau'jae Johnson‘s podcast.

LSU Tigers gymnast Olivia Dunne kisses the trophy after the LSU Tigers gymnastics team wins the national championship in the 2024 Womens National Gymnastics Championship. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Livvy Dunne just received LSU’s new national championship gymnastics rings and she’s flexing all that ice all over her social media.

Dunne is also putting in the work in the gym to defend the Lady Tigers’ title. The fifth-year senior is a cardio queen who pulls off ridiculously “hard” moves.

Right now, Dunne is on top of the world. Besides the new bling, the 21 year old has amassed over 13 million social media followers and makes $4 million a year in NIL money and $9.5 million overall. In fact, only Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders makes more per year in NIL at $5.1 million, according to On3's NIL 100 rankings. If that wasn’t enough star power, she’s also dating Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who admits he gifts her private jet rides to come see him.

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While she’s worth millions and enjoying the fruits of her labor, the haters are always going to hate. Dunne teamed up with another LSU star athlete, basketball player and rapper Flau'jae Johnson on Flau’jae’s 'Best of Both Worlds’ podcast. There she revealed how trolls hated on her when she kissed the national championship trophy for being a “benchwarmer.”

Livvy Dunne addresses the trolls on “Best of Both Worlds” podcast. / Best Of Both Worlds/Instagram

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Dunne would go on to defend herself saying she competed in 10 of the 13 meets and her role was to step up when the team needed her. She said as a gymnast people “who don’t know the sport who have the audacity to say those things” isn’t right.

The Tigers finished an incredible season with Aleah Finnegan lifting LSU to its first-ever NCAA Championship in gymnastics. Finnegan clinched the title with a nearly perfect 9.95 on the beam. LSU's final rotation earned a score of 49.7625, the highest mark in program history and an NCAA Championship record.

Whether she was the one clinching the title or not, Dunne deserves every part of the natty.

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