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Livvy Dunne’s Head-Turning Admission About Paul Skenes Relationship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 3:37 PM ET

Livvy Dunne just may be the most famous student-athlete at LSU right now.

The national championship-winning gymnast and social media influencer also is one of the highest earners of NIL money in college athletics, snagging a reported $4.1 million NIL valuation per On3, which ranks fourth in the country behind only Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning ($6.5 million), Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg ($4.8 million), and Miami Hurricanes QB Carson Beck ($4.3 million).

But aside from her fame and wealth, Dunne is also in the headline quite a bit for her high-profile relationship with former LSU and current Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skene, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

The couple met when they were both at LSU, and according to a recent interview they both did with GQ Sports, their romance almost never happened.

As Dunne tells it, she nearly moved on after it seemed like Skenes wasn’t interested because of one particular thing he did that the 22-year-old Sports Illustrated swimsuit model picked up on.

“He wouldn’t follow me back on Instagram,” Dunne said. “I was like, ‘Who is this kid and why won’t he follow me back?’ … I would see him around every now and then. I was like, ‘Who is this tall, mysterious man that never smiles?’”

Despite Skenes’ social-media snub, he and Dunne began hanging out pretty frequently back in 2023 after one of her gymnastics teammates began dating his best friend.

Dunne stated despite Skenes’ reserved nature, she was determined to get to know him better. After he asked her out for ice cream, things began to move quickly and the couple became exclusive not long after.

“Our first and second date, I was like, ‘Oh, I really like him,’” Dunne admitted.

Skenes has been a pro baseball player for a full year now and Dunne graduates in a few months. She hasn’t officially announced any post-graduation career plans, but she did admit she wants to work in sports business or sports management.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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