MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Olivia Dunne fans 'show some respect' after famed LSU gymnast condemns wild behavior at Utah meet

Olivia Dunne's fans were reportedly on their best behavior as they cheered for the New Jersey native during a meet on February 3

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Fans of popular LSU gymnast, Olivia Dunne, seemed to have redeemed themselves after the social media sensation issued a stark warning following wild scenes after a gymnastics meet and pleaded for a "respectful" environment.

Dunne's fans were reportedly on their best behavior as they cheered for the New Jersey-native during a meet on Friday, February 3, against Georgia at the Maravich Center. Viral social media videos showed a group of boys politely asking the 20-year-old star for a photo outside the venue of the event.

RELATED NEWS

'Only taking steps forward': Olivia Dunne hits back at coach who called her racy photos a 'step back'

‘Livvy has outdunne herself’: Olivia Dunne's sizzling red Christmas dress sends fans into a frenzy

Fans become 'respectful'

A teen was heard telling his friend to "be respectful" before going up to Dunne and requesting a photo op. Meanwhile, a female chaperone was heard telling fans to "stop screaming" as they swarmed the star gymnast in the parking lot. Dunne, a junior who is on a four-year athletic scholarship at LSU, seemed to beef up her security detail as she was flanked by a bodyguard in case things got out of hand. Her fans, however, appeared to swiftly walk away from the athlete after taking a group snap with her, according to the New York Post.

This event was a far cry from the chaotic scenes after the Tigers’ season opener, where a large group of teenage boys held signs and aggressively demanded to see Dunne. This soon led to the police stepping in while reporters at the meet described the situation as "scary and disturbing.”

Dunne addressed the chaos following the meet and asked her fans to “be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community.” She tweeted, "I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job."

Dunne's mother, Katherine, also took to Twitter to defend her daughter. "It is not ok to blame any athlete/celebrity when fan behavior crosses the line," she wrote, adding, "In a sport where all the girls wear nothing but leotards stop suggesting that how Livvy dresses means she deserves this in any way. Stop shaming girls for the behavior of boys."

Road to recovery

It's worth noting that Dunne is currently recuperating from a torn labrum. LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark shared an update on her leg injury during a recent chat with Nola. Clark said the junior's leg flared up again after their meet in Arkansas, and that she was at least a fortnight away from being able to compete. The concerned coach described the situation as "a little frustrating."

During an appearance on 'The Today Show' in January, Dunne discussed her seven-figure income from brand deals and her NIL career. She also touched on the wild fans at the Tigers’ season-opener against Utah in Salt Lake City. The talented gymnast, who has millions of followers on social media, revealed that LSU implemented new security measures in the aftermath of the scene and that a security guard accompanied the team wherever they went. Dunne's popularity and athletic success landed her at the top of On3 Sports’ list of female NIL moneymakers, with her estimated net worth at $2.3M as of October 2022. The Tigers are now set to take on Auburn on February 10 at the Neville Arena in Alabama, the Post reported.