WESTWOOD, NEW JERSEY: Olivia Dunne aka Livvy's social media presence includes a whopping 7.6 million on TikTok and 4.2 million on Instagram, and it seems that her fame is going to grow day by day. Catering to her strong influence and NIL deals, she has numerous opportunities on her list which has made the LSU star one of the highest-grossing college athletes in the country.

However back in November 2022, the 20-year-old influencer, who is a dynamo on social media, was the subject of a story in The New York Times entitled “New Endorsements for College Athletes Resurface an Old Concern: Sex Sells", which ultimately made her weigh on the issue. But amid all of this, what landed her spot in Sports Illustrated’s coveted Swimsuit Edition this year?

What got Dunne featured as Sports Illustrated swimsuit model?

When the New York Times article came out, it showed a giant picture of Dunne just standing there in a leotard, and to which the headline was ‘Sex Sells'. On an episode of 'Full Send' Podcast she revealed the incident, saying, "So, you’re going to come into the gym. You’re going to ask me to pose in our team-issued attire and then put a headline, ‘Sex Sells.’"

But what we didn’t know until now was Dunne’s courage to take a stand against the column. Dunne, during that time, took to Instagram where she posted the same photo to her Stories and wrote "Is this too much?" while tagging the publication. Dunne believes that this is what landed her spot in Sports Illustrated’s coveted Swimsuit Edition for this year. She added on saying, "In the article, they were saying the things I was doing were a step back for women’s athletics.” “I guess it caught Sports Illustrated’s attention and then they were like, ‘We loved that you clapped back at The New York Times since they’re so major." Dunne concluded.

'Why does it matter that I’m petite and blonde?'

Dunne never shied to reveal the incident when she was asked for an interview with the giant publication. She said, "It was complete BS. I mean, they called me on the phone in November and they told me that they were going to write about my accomplishments and stuff and I was like, ‘OK, for sure. That’s awesome. The New York Times. That’s huge.’'

Dunne seemed eager for the interview, but when they spoke on the phone, she was somewhat surprised by the interviewer's questions. "The interviewer called me and he was asking me very odd questions. It was worded quite weird," she explained. "He was like, ‘So, how does it feel to be a small petite blonde gymnast doing so well with NIL'. I was just like, 'Why does it matter that I’m petite and blonde.’ You can just ask me about NIL without you having to use these weird ways of saying it."