PITTSBURGH — While Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is just beginning his MLB journey, his high-profile girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, has decided to step away from her sport. The LSU gymnast and social media star announced on Twitter that she is retiring from gymnastics following the end of her college career.
Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne, who began dating while at LSU, have been a tight-knit couple ever since. Their relationship gained attention with a GQ magazine feature, where they modeled designer outfits during a rare Baton Rouge snowstorm.
Dunne, the most-followed NCAA athlete on social media with 5.3 million Instagram followers and 8 million on TikTok, recently completed her fifth season with LSU gymnastics. She contributed to the team’s third-place finish at the National Championships and played a pivotal role in LSU’s historic first National Title in 2023–24. Dunne achieved a career-high 9.900 floor score twice and was a member of the 2017 U.S. National Team.
Skenes, after transferring from Air Force Academy, dominated at LSU in 2023, finishing with a 13-2 record, 1.69 ERA, and 209 strikeouts in 122.2 innings, leading LSU to a national championship. Selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft, he signed a then-record $9.2 million bonus.
Following a strong minor league stint, Skenes debuted in the majors on May 11, 2024, and excelled with a 1.96 ERA over 133 innings in 23 starts, striking out 170 and allowing a .198 batting average against. His 11.5 K/9 and 0.95 WHIP earned him a historic All-Star Game start for the NL, the first for a Pirates player since 1975 and only the fifth rookie ever. Skenes won the NL Rookie of the Year, was named to the All-MLB First Team, and was a finalist for the NL Cy Young.
This season, Skenes has a 2-1 record in four starts, with a 2.96 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and just three walks over 24.1 innings.
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