Olivia Dunne-Markell Wiki, Biography
Olivia Dunne’s success in the field of gymnastics has made her a huge sensation among her fans. Therefore, her team, LSU Gymnastics, now gets an added layer of security as fans are interested in seeing the gymnast. This came after some teenage fans of Dunne’s crashed a gymnastics competition last week and tried to harass her.
The university’s gymnastics team had to beg fans to be “respectful” as there were multiple reports of misconduct and fans causing a ruckus at the event. Coach Jay Clark also issued a statement stating that security will now travel with the team for the remainder of the season. He said:
“That person will be at our hotel and out of our locker room and she will drive us to and from the bus on location. The officers will be there to create a perimeter that will keep everyone safe.”
Olivia, with 6.8 million followers on TikTok and 2.8 million on Instagram, the 20-year-old gymnast became a social media sensation as she constantly posted lip sync photos and videos on the platforms.
At the same time, all the popularity and attention from fans is now putting the Markell Washington drama in the spotlight, as TikToker claimed that the gymnast was rude to him when he approached her for a handshake. However, Olivia has now responded to the issue and talked about how she just wants to do gymnastics, create content, and not get involved in any drama.
“My feelings are hurt”: Olivia Dunne responds to Washington’s claims as the gymnast says she doesn’t want to get involved in any drama
The whole drama started after TikToker Markell Washington claimed that Olivia Dunne was rude to him in Los Angeles, when she reached out to shake his hand. However, Olivia allegedly responded with a “bad smell.” When the TikToker appeared on the BFF podcast, he said:
“I reached out and tried to shake her hand, I’m telling you no, my sister looked like this and she was like, ‘Hello, nice to meet you.'”
In addition, he stated that it was his only meeting with her and continued:
“We’re not going to hate her, that was just my one meeting with her, but it’s like her first meetings were everything. Even if she apologized or said that she didn’t see me, you saw me!
However, Olivia Dunne was not silent about it and she quickly jumped on the social media bandwagon to share her side of her story. Giving a tearful response on one of her TikTok live streams, the gymnast said:
“I just want to do my gymnastics and do content. I never, never… I’m not being dramatic. My feelings are hurt.”
Dunne was reportedly criticized by several citizens after the incident, as many believed Washington’s version of the incident. She also claimed that Josh Richards, the co-host of the BFF podcast, reached out to her to apologize for the hate Dunne was receiving after the show. Exclaiming how she understands that everything on social media is not to be taken seriously, he said:
“I guess that’s what social media is. People can just make stuff up.”
Aside from her recent controversy with TikToker Markell Washington, Dunne’s recent appearance at a meetup in Utah also created an uproar among young teens, which has now led to the decision to increase security for the entire team.
Olivia Dunne’s coach makes sure fans can seek team autographs with athlete safety in mind.
As fans went into an uproar after seeing TikTok star and gymnast Olivia Dunne, people created a messy situation that was difficult to deal with right outside of the event. For the same reason, security will now be enhanced and the team will stay away from fans to ensure their safety.
The team’s coach, Jay Clark, stated that he wanted to make sure that fans could seek the autographs of team members. However, keeping athletes safe will be a top priority. He added:
“Things have to change. We just can’t expose them. We’re looking at some policy changes that will give parents access to their daughters in a different location.”
Also, Olivia Dunne tweeted about how she wishes her fans were more respectful and she said:
“I will always appreciate and love your support, but if you come to a meeting, I want to ask you to be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job.”
Apart from this, Olivia Dunne’s mother also claimed that her daughter was “invaded” by a group of teenagers who wanted to meet her and have the gymnast click on them. She said:
As we walked to the car, the group surrounded my daughter and her teammate.”
Meanwhile, multiple videos are floating around online where teens are yelling:
“We want Livvy”
Olivia Dunne started at LSU two years ago, in 2021, and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. The gymnast is now gaining enormous popularity from her as the young athlete earns around $2 million from various endorsements including sportswear brand Vuori, American Eagle, and Planet Fuel.