Olivia Dunne Receives Special Paul Skenes Surprise During Emotional New York City Visit

4 min read

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes are Gen Z’s ultimate power couple, blending athletic drive and genuine affection. When they first connected at LSU in June 2023 through mutual friends, they officially went public that August. Cut to April 2025, they shot a sweet joint GQ feature, marking their evolution from college sweethearts to a stylish public pairing. Livvy, once hesitant because Paul didn’t follow her on Instagram, now supports him at games and playfully reviews stadium hot dogs. Paul, who avoids social media, keeps Livvy grounded while cheering on her blossoming media career. And now, in the 2025 Fanatics Fest, even though Paul was not present, Dunne ended up with a surprise related to him. What’s that?

Last day of fanatics fest lfg,” read Olivina Dunne’s Snapchat story as he uploaded a selfie. From the past two days, the former gymnast charm to Fanatics Fest in New York (June 20–22), mixing playful mishaps, like getting doused by a spilled soda can, botching a ceremonial soccer kick that cracked a replica FIFA World Cup trophy, and recoiling in shock at Joey Chestnut’s epic chicken-finger eating display. Amid the chaos, she connected with fans, and day 3 was no different.

Dunne donned a sleek black midi dress, with its spaghetti straps and simple, clean lines, on the third day of the Fanatics Fest on June 23rd. In another one of her stories, Olivia had put up a picture of countless copies of Sports Illustrated Magazine – all of them the swimsuit edition with Olivia Dunne on the cover page. The 22-year-old is on the cover of the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, marking her third consecutive year in the magazine and first time on the cover. “About to sign all these :)” and she did while breaking a record.

Which record? We are not sure, but she once again posted a picture of her SI swimsuit magazine, and she wrote, “Done in record breaking time“. The only thing different about the magazine was that all of them now had a sign of Olivia Dunne on them. In the next story, she took us to a surprise, both for us and the former gymnast as well. In the video she uploaded on her Snapchat story, one of Dune’s friends could be spotted waving behind a picture of an MLB star, the one who is Dune’s boyfriend, Paul Skenes.

Credit: Instagram/ Olivia Dunne

It was a picture of the 23-year-old donning a crisp black Pirates jersey –  a black shirt with gold lettered Pittsburgh gleaming across his chest, paired with a matching Pittsburgh Pirates cap. A black paper by the side of the picture read reserved. While this might still be speculation, but maybe despite the MLB star being absent, a reserved spot was staged in his honor. Dunne then wrapped herself for the day with a drink as she posted a picture of it and another one of her signing the cover pages. The Fanatics Fest ended for her with another Paul Skenes moment at least.

All of Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne moments from 2025 Fanatics Fest

While Paul was not present at the 2025 Fanatics Fest, he was still making headlines. Thanks to his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne. She made waves at the card booth by playfully securing a rare Paul Skenes anime-style red refractor rookie card, one of just five in existence, for $2,850 after some light-hearted haggling with sellers. That afternoon, she struck a stylish pose next to Paul’s 1-of-1 debut patch card—the legendary piece sold for a record‑breaking $1.11 million in March. Interestingly, she was one of the first people to bid for it , but the family refused.

Later, at the Meta Innovation Lab, Olivia joined a PEOPLE exclusive where she opened up about their relationship. Embarking on the freedom in their relationship, she said, “I’m trying to go to as many baseball games as I can. I really just enjoy watching him, and he’s always on the go. He’s an athlete, so I get it. I get the grind.” Dunne retired from gymnastics in April 2025 after her final LSU season.

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