LSU Gymnast Olivia Dunne Calls Out The NYT On Instagram For Controversial 'Sex Sells' Article

Olivia "Livvy" Dunne is a college gymnast at Louisiana State University who has garnered over 8 million followers across her social media accounts.

The athlete’s name was recently used in an article by The New York Times, written by Kurt Streeter, in which the author highlighted Dunne's monetary success and claimed that "sexiness sells."

Following the November 8 report, Dunne took to her Instagram story to share how she felt about Streeter's words.

On Wednesday, she posted a photo donning a black LSU leotard and standing next to a balance beam. Dunne captioned the photo: "@nytimes is this too much?"

Olivia Dunne's Instagram story from Nov 9, 2022.@livvydunne | Instagram

In the NYT article, Dunne revealed she earns seven figures that the journalist then credits to sponsored content and her popular online following.

"Dunne, a petite blonde with a bright smile and a gymnast’s toned physique, earns a staggering amount by posting to her eight-million strong internet following on Instagram and TikTok," Streeter wrote. "Platforms on which she intersperses sponsored content modeling [...] alongside videos of her lip syncing popular songs or performing trending dances."

As of July 2021, the NCAA allows student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness being used.

"The athlete compensation and endorsement rules have been a game-changer for collegiate women, particularly those who compete in what are known as nonrevenue sports, such as gymnastics," Streeter wrote.

The article’s author also spoke to Stanford women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, who thought monetizing "beauty" on the Internet as a result of the N.I.L change is "regressive for female athletes."

Readers are now taking to TikTok to share their reactions to The New York Times story.

User Jack Mac (@jackmacbarstool) thinks the NYT "did her dirty" and claims the publication probably "lied" to the athlete about the intentions of their article.

"What happened here was obvious. The New York Times went to where Livvy Dunne felt safe, at LSU, and they lied to her," Mac said in a TikTok clip. "They said, 'hey we're gonna write this great article about you and N.I.L.,’ and you know what? They didn't."

Mac’s post has received over 50,000 likes and hundreds of comments, the majority agreeing with the TikToker.

Narcity reached out to Dunne for comment, and we will update this article when we receive a response.