Livvy Dunne Slams 'Sex Sells' Headline Over Appearance-Focused Narrative

Former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne continues to voice her frustration over a controversial 2022 story published with a headline that screamed 'Sex Sells.' The article, which described Dunne as a 'petite blonde with a gymnast’s toned physique,' argued that the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals in women's college sports often prioritize traditional feminine appeal over athletic achievement—a narrative Dunne finds both misleading and reductive.

In a recent interview on the What's Your Story? podcast, Dunne didn’t hold back. She recounted how the newspaper’s team allegedly directed her to wear team-issued attire—a standard leotard—for photos at LSU’s gymnastics facility, only to later splash those images across their platform with the provocative headline. 'They took a picture of me standing in front of the beam, like any gymnast would, and blew it up with 'Sex Sells' plastered over it,' she said, clearly exasperated. 'I thought, okay, this is beyond absurd.'

The backlash was swift, and Dunne wasn’t about to let it slide. She cleverly clapped back on social media, reposting the same photo with a caption questioning if it was 'too much' for the publication. The response from her fans was overwhelmingly supportive, reinforcing that her attire was simply standard for her sport. This bold move even caught the eye of Sports Illustrated, leading to a dream modeling opportunity with the iconic magazine.

Dunne’s critique didn’t stop there. On the Full Send Podcast last summer, she called the article 'complete nonsense' and described the interview process as uncomfortable, with questions that seemed oddly fixated on her appearance rather than her accomplishments. 'Why does it matter that I’m petite and blonde?' she challenged, pointing out the unnecessary framing of her success in NIL deals.

With over 13 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, Dunne has become one of the most prominent figures in college sports. Despite an injury cutting short her final year at LSU, she helped her team clinch a national championship in 2024. Lately, she’s been spotted supporting her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, as he rises through the ranks with the Pittsburgh Pirates in MLB. Her story isn’t just about gymnastics—it’s about pushing back against narratives that diminish her achievements to mere optics.