Paul Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne reveals her honest approach to shutting down online criticism with class

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne rocked up to the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta to support her boyfriend, who started in his second consecutive Midsummer Classic.

Following the All-Star game, the former LSU Tigers gymnast appeared on the "What’s Your Story? With Steph McMahon" podcast hosted by the former WWE executive.

Olivia Dunne boasts a strong social media following and it comes with it's downside. During her conversation with Stephine McMahon on Thursday, Dunne revealed how she deals with criticism on social media platforms.

"I'm going to be completely honest, either you have to ignore them or block them," Dunne said. "I have no shame in blocking people or unfollowing. If you are getting hate and you don't wanna see it, you have control over your account; that's the fun part of social media. You get to not share what you don't wanna share. If you see something you don't like, I just block it."

Dunne, who retired from gymnastics after five years of representing the LSU Tigers in college, has various endeavors away from the sport. She added:

"I've noticed the more you do right, the more people try to knock you down. Every single time when something good is happening or I'm gonna have a breakthrough, whether it's a huge new collaboration or whether it is a Sports Illustrated cover, there's always the down; there are always people trying to pull you down.

Olivia Dunne shares her experience behind the stunning split at Sports Illustrated event

Earlier this year, Olivia Dunne made the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and also walked the runway for the first time. She stunned people after performing a split at the show in Miami. The former LSU star talked about how she felt in the lead-up to the moment.

"I went to Miami. I had no clue what to expect," Dunne explained. "I’ve never walked a runway a day in my life. I’ve only ever walked in my bedroom mirror after watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show growing up. I’ve literally never walked a runway.

"So, I get to the rehearsal and you just do a quick run through of the show. Literally, two hours before the show. And they’re like, ‘OK, Liv, you’re opening the show.’ Oh shoot, I’ve never even watched someone walk down the runway in person."

Since her retirement, Dunne has spent more time with her boyfriend and is frequently spotted at the PNC Park to support Paul Skenes during his starts for the Pirates.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash