NJ’s Olivia Dunne claps back over criticism of racy photos

Last week I told you that social media sensation Olivia Dunne was born, raised, and trained in Bergen County.

She was in the news then because she became one of the first female athletes to become a millionaire due to the NCAA’s relaxation of Name, Image, and Likeness rules; this allowed athletes to profit off their fame and abilities.

Olivia, who is a gymnast at Louisiana State University, promotes, through her popular social media accounts, brands like American Eagle, Vuori, and Forever 21.

There is no doubt that a large part of Olivia’s appeal stems from the fact that not is she only one of the top gymnasts in the country (she’s an All-American), but she is strikingly attractive; she has over 6 million followers on Tik Tok and over 2 million on Instagram.

But recently she has been criticized for her sometimes racy photos (although they are pretty mild); a New York Times article titled “New Endorsements for College Athletes Resurface an Old Concern: Sex Sells” calls to task female athletes who cash in on their looks.

In the article, Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer, the most successful coach in women’s college basketball, criticizes the movement, saying “This is a step back.”

Dunne took to her favored mode of communication, Tik Tok, for her rebuttal, saying “if you don’t like me, that’s fine, but, you know, watch your mouth.”

So far, it’s been viewed over 1.7 million times.

This is one of her posts promoting Vuori:

Her talent at gymnastics first brought her to prominence

This photo was taken while she was at the Jersey Shore:

About her millionaire status, Dunne told the New York Times,

“That is something I’m proud of. Especially since I’m a woman in college sports... There are no professional leagues for most women’s sports after college.”

More power to her.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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