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Gymastics sensation Olivia Dunne reveals police involvement with ‘concerning’ fan incident

US college gymnastics sensation Olivia Dunne has spoken publicly about the intense attention she receives from her obsessive fans.

College gymnast Olivia Dunne becomes teenage millionaire

Olivia Dunne is still wrapping her head around the attention she receives, especially after an incident involving police.

During an interview on “The Today Show”, the 20-year-old Louisiana State University (LSU) gymnast expressed worry about some people that reach out to her on social media, and said the school went to police over an incident that took place last year.

The NY Post reports Dunne did not disclose further details about the matter.

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The social media influencer has nearly 10 million followers across Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and earns seven figures in brand deals and NIL.

Dunne said: “As a woman, you are not responsible for how a man looks at you and objectifies you. That’s not a woman’s responsibility.”

Dunne told “Today” that her massive social media following has generated threatening comments.

“There are some people, occasionally that do reach out and it is a bit concerning,” Dunne said.

The New Jersey native, who is a junior on a four-year athletic scholarship at LSU, made headlines earlier this month when a massive crowd of screaming male fans showed up at the Tigers’ season opener against Utah in Salt Lake City.

“In the past I have had some of my supporters come out to the meets and watch and cheer for LSU, but that was insane. It really was,” Dunne said from the Tigers’ training facility, where the gymnast was in a walking boot. She’s been sidelined with an injury to start the season.

Olivia Dunne’s fans were creeping out onlookers at a recent college meet. Pic: Instagram
Olivia Dunne’s fans were creeping out onlookers at a recent college meet. Pic: Instagram

The scene outside of the Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City was “so scary and disturbing,” according to former Olympic gymnast Samantha Peszek, who posted a video of Dunne’s fans chanting her name.

There was a line of teenage boys asking about Dunne’s whereabouts, with some holding signs asking the gymnast for photos and follows on social media.

The fan attention sparked a police presence at the gymnastics meet, which led to LSU implementing new security measures.

“They gave us some new rules for us athletes just to keep us safe, to not go into the stands after meets, and we have a new security person that travels with us,” Dunne said.

Following the LSU-Utah meet, Dunne addressed the behaviour from fans in a tweet asking supporters to “be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community.”

Olivia Dunne of LSU and her teammates cheer during a PAC-12 meet against Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Olivia Dunne of LSU and her teammates cheer during a PAC-12 meet against Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Dunne said she is “very grateful” to be making seven figures as a college student. In October, she topped the On3 Sports list of female NIL (name, image and likeness) moneymakers, which estimated her value at $2.3 million.

Dunne signed with WME Sports for representation in August 2021 and has deals with a number of brands, including Vuori clothing, College GameDay, GrubHub, Madden/EA Sports and American Eagle.

This article originally appeared in the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Gymastics sensation Olivia Dunne reveals police involvement with ‘concerning’ fan incident

Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/gymastics-sensation-olivia-dunne-reveals-police-involvement-with-concerning-fan-incident/news-story/e66e9724358fa1d8b4c194a65dc9053d