Livvy Dunne Turned an Elite Gymnastics Career into an SI Cover, a Baywatch Role, and Miami Beach Days with a Pittsburgh Pirates Ace

Livvy Dunne retired from gymnastics at 22 after a knee injury, but the money had already found her years earlier. When the NCAA finally let college athletes get paid for their name, image, and likeness in 2021, Dunne became one of the biggest earners of the whole era, and the SI covers and Baywatch role followed.

She walked away from competitive gymnastics in 2025 at 22, and her career only got bigger.

The 23-year-old former LSU standout was part of the team that won the school’s first NCAA title in 2024 before a knee injury ended her final season. She went viral during the pandemic with her routines, then became one of the highest-earning athletes of the NIL era once college players could finally get paid for their name, image, and likeness in 2021.

Now she models for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, has a role in the Baywatch reboot, and pulls millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram. She’s also dating Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, whom she met at LSU, and the two were photographed on his day off in Miami this week.

The visibility carries a cost. She’s spoken out about resellers ambushing her at airports, some buying refundable tickets to get through security, and has asked people to stop selling her flight information because it doesn’t feel safe.

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