"Having a little break from slaying" - Olivia Dunne gives fans a glimpse of her academic side in latest TikTok video

Olivia Dunne, an LSU gymnast, is one of the premier social media influencers in the United States. Long regarded for her talent, the 21-year-old recently showed that she can throw some weight around academically as well.

After first receiving attention during the 2020 COVID lockdowns for posting videos of her gymnastics routine on TikTok, Dunne's popularity exploded, virtually overnight. To date, Dunne boasts some 10 million followers on TikTok, with several million more spread amongst her other platforms.

On Dec. 8, Dunne addressed her TikTok followers in a personal video message. According to the New Jersey native, she is taking a break to attend to her exams during finals week at LSU. She continued to lip-sync the following:

View on TikTok

"Right now I am not depressed, I am just having a little break from slaying. I am gonna go back to slaying soon."

It has been a very busy year for Olivia Dunne. In addition to entering her final year of college, she also announced her relationship with pitcher Paul Skenes. Skenes, who graduated from LSU this past spring, was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with their first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Entry Draft.

In response to her video, legions of fans replied with messages of support for Dunne. Majoring in communication studies, Dunne has served as a central member of LSU's varsity gymnastics team since her freshman year.

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The social media fame has made Dunne incredibly famous, as well as fabulously wealthy. In 2023, it was reported that the young sensation is paid upwards of $50,000 for making a single social media post. Dunne was also a direct beneficiary of a 2021 NCAA rule change that allowed college athletes to earn income from their name, image and likeness (NIL).

Olivia Dunne walks the tightrope between academia and fame gracefully

No stranger to balancing, Olivia Dunne seems to have super-human time management skills, attending to her studies while running the influencer gambit, all the while finding time to share with her boyfriend Paul Skenes.

Fame is a double-edged sword, and Dunne knows this better than anyone. She has commented in the past that she requires a full-time security detail, and no longer attends classes in person, citing concerns for her safety. With her graduation on the horizon, fans wait with bated breath to see what new heights she will reach.