One of the best prospects in baseball shared one of the challenges he faces outside of the field.
Paul Skenes, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, confirmed and talked about his relationship with famous Louisiana State University (LSU) gymnast and social media personality Olivia Dunne, also known to many as Livvy Dunne.
The 21-year-old said that dating Dunne is nice, but "it can be a pain in the butt sometimes," especially if they go out somewhere.
"If one of us went out in Baton Rouge [Louisiana] by ourselves, there's probably gonna be someone there asking for something - picture, autograph, whatever," Skenes said.
Currently playing for the Pirates' minor league Single-A affiliate Bradenton Marauders, Skenes further talked about dating the famous TikTok and Instagram star with all the spotlight on them.
The pitcher said he wishes his girlfriend could come to a baseball game and enjoy it, and it irks him that he has no control over it.
Skenes added that Dunne doesn't have control over the attention they are receiving either, but he is hopeful that it will get better as he goes up to the major leagues because enjoying his baseball games is something that Skenes want for his partner.
Skenes shared that he met Dunne through his best friend, who was already dating fellow LSU gymnast Elena Marenas. She is Dunne's roommate and a regular sight on her TikTok videos.
Rumors of their relationship sparked when Dunne attended the minor league debut of Skenes with the Marauders, and she was also regularly seen attending LSU baseball games last season.
Skenes was a baseball player for the LSU Tigers, leading them to victory in the 2023 College World Series.
The pitcher was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. In addition, he also claimed the National Pitcher of the Year Award, as well as the Dick Howser Trophy.
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Olivia Dunne is a star in her own right
Aside from being a star gymnast for LSU, Dunne has also amassed a large following on social media.
The 20-year-old currently has four million followers on Instagram, 7.7 million followers on TikTok, and 111.3K followers on X, formerly Twitter.
Her content includes dance videos, a behind-the-scenes look during a gymnastics competition, videos with friends, and her general life experiences.
Dunne was also named to the 2022 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Scholastic All-American Team, an accolade given to the most outstanding college gymnasts during that year.
The All-American athlete is also the highest-paid NCAA female athlete since the organization allowed student-athletes to accept sponsorship deals in 2021 with the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy.
Dunne revealed that she once received close to $500,000 for one sponsored post on her social media account, and ON3 Nil estimates that the net worth of the LSU student is nearly $3.5 million.
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