Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes are a sports power couple. All about their relationship
Paul Skenes and Olivia “Livvy” Dunne’s love story started on campus.
The baseball pitcher and gymnast started dating shortly after they met at Louisiana State University. Dunne recalled the moment to rapper and basketball player Flau’jae Johnson on her “Best of Both Worlds” podcast.
“I was like, ‘There he is. He’s cute.’ He didn’t even have a mustache yet,” Dunne said.
In July 2023, Skenes was drafted as the No. 1 pick in the MLB draft to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made his major league debut in May 2024.
Throughout his MLB journey, Dunne has been there every step of the way. And she knows how it feels to be in the spotlight. Dunne and the LSU women’s gymnastics team won the NCAA tournament in April 2024. Dunne also boasts more than 5 million followers on Instagram.
In July, she announced that she will return to LSU gymnastics for a fifth season of eligibility, writing on Instagram, “Not Dunne yet.”
Read on to learn more about Livvy Dunne and Paul Skenes’ relationship.
Livvy Dunne and Paul Skenes met at college
Dunne and Skenes met at Louisiana State University.
In September, Dunne shared the story on Flau’jae Johnson’s “Best of Both Worlds” podcast and said she immediately noticed Skenes’ 6-foot-6-inch height when they met.
“I would kind of see him around and I was like, ‘Who is this tall guy — this tall mysterious man,’” she said. “I literally had no clue who he was, but I would just see him around.”
Dunne explained that she didn’t start following Skenes until she saw him in the dugout during a baseball game.
“I was like, ‘There he is. He’s cute.’ He didn’t even have a mustache yet,” she said.
However, once she started following him, they ended up going out for ice cream and had a “chill” date.
Skenes told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2023 that their date also came about through “a small-world type of thing,” as his best friend at LSU was dating Dunne’s roommate.
June 2023: Rumors swirl that they’re dating
In June 2023, rumors started to swirl that Skenes and Dunne were dating once Dunne posted a TikTok video of herself at a baseball game wearing a shirt with the pitcher’s jersey number.
July 2023: Paul Skenes gets drafted in the MLB
In 2023, Skenes was drafted as the No. 1 pick to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“It means a lot to be the first overall pick,” he said in an interview. “I’m just looking forward to what’s to come with playing baseball and hopefully winning a World Series or two in Pittsburgh.”
August 2023: Paul Skenes confirms they’re dating
Skenes confirmed he was dating Dunne in an August 2023 interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He also opened up about navigating their relatively high profile relationship.
“I do wish she could come to a baseball game and just enjoy it,” he said. “It does irk me. I don’t have any control over it. She really doesn’t either. I’m sure it’ll get better as I go up levels, but that’s something I want for her.”
December 2023: Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne spend the holidays together
In December 2023, Skenes and Dunne celebrated the holidays together when they took a trip to New York City and saw the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
“Best tour guide in town @livvydunne,” Skenes captioned a pic of them in front of the tree on Instagram.
April 2024: Livvy Dunne becomes an NCAA gymnastics champion
The LSU women’s gymnastics team won its first NCAA championship title April 20.
“You know what, it is still feeling just unreal,” Dunne said on TODAY April 22. “I’m still trying to get my voice back from cheering so loud. It was an unforgettable experience, and I’ll probably be thinking about it for the rest of my life.”
After she became a champ, Dunne told People that Skenes was one of the first people she called to celebrate the victory.
“I just wanted to fill him in on what just happened because I know he just won a national championship at LSU,” she said. “He understands all the feelings so I just wanted to call him and just tell him what it was like.”
May 2024: Livvy Dunne supports Paul Skenes as he makes his MLB debut
In May 2024, Dunne cheered on her boyfriend when he made his MLB debut as a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On Instagram, she shared two sweet pictures of them hugging on the field.
“Way to go Bucco💛,” she wrote.
July 2024: Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne make their red-carpet debut
July 2024 was a big month for the couple as they made their red-carpet debut at the MLB All-Star Game.
The two arrived walking hand-in-hand. For the event, Skenes wore an all-white suit with a black tie, and Dunne sported a long champagne-colored dress.
October 2024: Paul Skenes celebrates Livvy Dunne’s birthday
On Oct. 1, Skenes shared a bunch of pictures of him and Dunne over the years, including one of them embracing while looking into each other eyes.
In the pic, Dunne appeared to be wearing cowboy boots that had Skenes’ last name on them.
He captioned the pics, “Happy birthday Liv!❤️.”
November 2024: Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne serve as guest pickers on ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’
Months after making their red-carpet debut, Dunne and Skenes made a “College GameDay” appearance as a couple, serving as the guest-pickers Nov. 9 for the ESPN show’s stop in Baton Rouge.
Ahead of the LSU vs. Alabama game tonight, Dunne and Skenes made their picks for other college football matchups. Predictably, the two alums picked LSU to defeat Alabama.
