Gymnast Olivia Dunne claps back at people who tell her to 'tone down' her sex appeal

LSU gymnast and popular social media star Olivia Dunne has clapped back at people who told her to 'tone down' her sex appeal online - as she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.

The athlete, 20, originally from New Jersey, has been making waves on and off the mat recently - earning more than 3.9 million followers on Instagram and 7.4 million on TikTok by sharing a glimpse into the many glamorous perks that come with being a successful NCAA star.

And she has made millions of dollars along the way thanks to her many lucrative brand deals.

Now, the sensation has added professional model to her already long list of achievements after taking part in a stunning photoshoot for SI Swimsuit's upcoming May issue.

LSU gymnast and social media star Olivia Dunne has clapped back at people who told her to 'tone down' her sex appeal online - as she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

The athlete, 20, originally from New Jersey, has been making waves on and off the mat recently - earning more than 3.9 million followers on Instagram and 7.4 million on TikTok

Now, the sensation has added professional model onto her already long list of achievements, as she recently took part in a stunning photoshoot for SI Swimsuit's upcoming May issue

Olivia flaunted her toned physique in various different bathing suits throughout the photo series, which were taken by Ben Watts on a beach in Puerto Rico back in January.

While speaking to the publication, the 20-year-old opened up about the immense amount of attention she has received lately - and revealed how she deals with nasty comments, especially those about her body.

Olivia flaunted her toned physique in various different bathing suits 

She is certainly not afraid to show off her figure on social media - but has slammed claims that her success has only come from her racy posts and addressed haters who have accused her of showing off a little too much skin online. 

'People always comment stuff that they would never say to your face, so part of it is just having developed tough skin. Social media is hard,' she told SI Swimsuit. 

'I think it's important to stand up for yourself. Maybe it's the Jersey girl in me, but I think girls need to know it [isn't] OK [for people to say that], especially [because I'm] posting things that any other college kid would post in.

'[Or I'm in] a leotard - which is the required uniform for being a gymnast. It's ridiculous.

'There are always people who want to downplay your success and say it's just because of how you look or it's just luck.

'I don't give that negativity too much attention because it doesn't deserve it. If I want girls to hear my message, I need to focus on what I want to say and not waste my time getting defensive about people who don't take the time to understand what I do.'

While speaking to the publication, the 20-year-old opened up about the immense amount of attentions she's received lately - and revealed how she deals with nasty comments

She slammed reports that claimed her success has only come from her racy posts and addressed haters who have accused her of showing off a little too much skin online

'People always comment stuff that they would never say to your face, so part of it is just having developed tough skin. Social media is hard,' she told SI Swimsuit

Olivia has become so popular that hoards of her fans (most of whom are young men) even started showing up at her meets in an attempt to get a glimpse of her - and on one occasion, they even started 'swarming' her and her teammates as they tried to leave the competition. 

Things became so intense that police had to be called, and the incident resulted in LSU gymnastics hiring a permanent bodyguard to accompany her. 

She said she now hopes that her immense online presence can help shine a light on college sports

Afterwards, Olivia took to Twitter to beg her fans to be 'respectful,' writing, 'I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job.'

During her interview with SI Swimsuit, Olivia explained why it was so important for her to speak out about the situation on Twitter.

'Girls aren't responsible for the bad behavior of boys. A lot of gymnasts are taught to keep quiet, and that led to a lot of abuse in the sport,' she said. 

'I want to be part of the new generation that tells girls to use their voice. You can be comfortable in your own skin and be strong, sexy and smart.'

The athlete also hopes that her immense online presence can help shine a light on college sports.

'As a female athlete, I hope I can bring attention to how amazing college sports are and how hard college athletics are,' she added. 

'People don't see [behind-the-scenes] every day of college athletics, and it's very time consuming.

'In gymnastics, a lot of people only watch the Olympics every four years, and I feel like I've been able to use my platform to bring an audience to college gymnastics, and people are starting to see how amazing all these gymnasts are.'

Olivia has become so popular that hoards of her fans (most of whom are young men) even started showing up at her meets in an attempt to get a glimpse of her

And on one occasion, they even started 'swarming' her and her teammates as they tried to leave the competition

Afterwards, Olivia took to Twitter with a plea that read: 'If you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful'

During her interview with SI Swimsuit, Olivia explained why it was so important for her to speak out about it on Twitter, stating, 'A lot of gymnasts are taught to keep quiet'

Despite Olivia's popularity, she wasn't allowed to make any money from her internet endeavors at first - due to the NCAA's strict policy about its members selling sponsorships. 

That is, until June 30, 2021, when the organization changed its rules, announcing that it would allow its athletes to earn a profit off of their name, image, and likeness - a move that turned Olivia into a millionaire at only 18 years old, according to the New York Post.

She has since landed sponsorships with clothing companies like Vuori, American Eagle, and Forever 21, as well as the app Nate. 

'It was all brand new to me when the rules first changed, but hopefully girls can see what I've been doing, and I can inspire them to grow their own personal brands,' she concluded. 

Despite Olivia's popularity, she wasn't allowed to make any money from her internet endeavors at first 

'I hope I can bring attention to how amazing college sports are and how hard college athletics are,' she added. 'People don't see [behind-the-scenes] of it, it's very time consuming'

She also wants to use her voice to 'fight for women to get fair treatment when it comes to' sponsorship deals

'Most NIL money being raised goes into collectives for men's sports like football or basketball, and I just don't agree with that. 

'I can use my voice to keep fighting for women to get fair treatment when it comes to NIL deals, because they deserve it.

'I'm just getting started with it, but I want to leave my mark and bring attention to the issue that needs to be talked about. 

'I want to show young girls that you can have it all, and you don't need to choose between whatever it is you're passionate about. I think you need to set your own expectations for success and dream big.'