13 January 2023 , 12:02
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Louisiana State University has hired a bodyguard for TikTok star and gymnast Olivia Dunne, who had attracted a large following at an athletics event this past weekend.
Dozens of teenage boys were recorded at the gates outside of the event in Utah, as they screamed Olivia, known as Livvy, in somewhat disturbing images.
The 20-year-old has become a social media star in recent years, amassing 6.7 million TikTok followers and 2.9 million on Instagram, and has also reportedly made millions from advertising deals whilst still in college and seen.
But this past weekend's events has forced LSU to up their security, with Dunne herself asking those who show support to be respectful to herself and other gymnasts.
Groups of boys were seen asking for Dunne to come over for a photograph, with officials at the meet having to move the LSU team bus to avoid them. Other gymnasts were also guided back to their vehicles by police.
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One mother claimed that her gymnast daughter was swarmed by a group of teenage boys, who had been waiting for Dunne, who said to her "You're not Livvy, but you will do, can we take a picture?".
A large group of fans waited to see the gymnast (@samanthapeszek/Twitter)After the event, Dunne tweeted: "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."
LSU's gymnast coach Jay Clark has also said that a security officer will now travel with the team to competitions for the rest of the season to assure the safety of the team. He said: "That person will be in our hotel and outside our locker room and getting us to and from the bus at the venue,' Clark told The Advocate/Times-Picayune. "The officer will be there to create a perimeter that keeps everybody safe.
"Things have to change. We just can't expose them. We're looking at some policy changes that will give parents access at a different location to their daughters."
Dunne has amassed a huge following on social media (INSTAGRAM@https://www.instagram.com/p/CmkrcJmLn3E/?hl=en)Dunne is one of thousands of college athletes who will have financially benefitted from the NCAA allowing it's students to sign name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with brands, with Dunne reportedly earning over £1.5 million per year.
She has previously competed for the United States national gymnastics team, before joining LSU in 2020, where she is now in her Junior year.