LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne will make her SI Swimsuit debut in the 2023 issue released in May, the magazine announced on Thursday morning.
“Usually being a D1 athlete, an all-academic and an industrious entrepreneur is enough to garner respect and accolades,” said SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day. “But when you are Livvy Dunne and you also mix in being arrestingly beautiful, you unfortunately garner the ire and resentment of a certain niche population.
“The refusal of some to appreciate Livvy for being more than just a pretty blonde is missing the point. The backlash she received for ‘leveraging’ her sexuality for endorsement dollars after the NIL restrictions were lifted is incorrect. We are here to celebrate this incredible young woman and encourage the world to respect and applaud Livvy and her fellow athletes for owning the blood, sweat and tears that have fueled a lifetime of achievements.”
Dunne, who has 11 million followers on social media and is the highest-paid female collegiate athlete in the country, expressed her excitement about being featured in the new SI Swim issue.
“The way that the [SI Swimsuit] brand has evolved and has become such a positive spotlight for women to tell their stories and to spread awesome messages of being strong, sexy and beautiful, I knew that was something I wanted to be part of,” she said.
The importance of the brand and how it made her feel is what stood out to Dunne as she was completing her shoot.
“That’s something that’s really important, that a brand makes you feel comfortable, confident, and that you feel like you’re the best version of yourself,” she says. “And that’s definitely what SI [Swimsuit] made me feel like. I felt like a better person leaving that shoot.”
