Before the start of the 2023 fall semester, reports surfaced that superstar LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne had elected to take her classes exclusively online. Now Dunne has spoken with more detail as to why.
In an interview with NJ Advance Media, the New Jersey native said the decision was made in the interest of safety, both hers and her fellow students.
“I had a scare once with a message that I got about a class I was going to, and I was like, you know what, it’s not worth it,” Dunne said. “It was a threat. It seemed like they knew where I was at and what class, and I just decided better (to be) safe than sorry.”
After speaking with Dunne, NJ Advance Media was able to obtain a copy of a December 2021 LSU police report that showed Dunne had reported receiving death threats through her Instagram account.
The stalker made threats to Dunne that they would “shoot up” the LSU campus.
An unidentified man watching Dunne and other gymnasts in LSU’s practice facility was stopped by police two months later.
Dunne is preparing for her senior season with LSU Gymnastics and is currently the most highly-valued female athlete in the NCAA in terms of NIL valuation, according to On3, and ranks third among all athletes, regardless of gender.