Why TikTok's obsession with Olivia Dunne has gone too far?

Olivia Dunne, a 20-year-old gymnast from Louisiana State University (LSU), has taken TikTok by storm but it’s led to some scary repercussions.

Dunne has been competing as a gymnast since 2014. She became a member of the US National Gymnastics Team in 2017 and currently competes at the collegiate level in the NCAA.

But besides her incredible athleticism, Dunne has become well-known on social media.

With more than 6.8 million followers on TikTok and three million on Instagram, Dunne has developed a large fan base, many of which are young men who obsess over Dunne’s good looks.

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Comments from men saying they want her “used toilet paper,” to “kidnap” her, and calling her “mommy” have flooded Dunne’s page.

But now, the young men’s admiration has turned into an obsession as Dunne faced a rowdy mob of young men while competing at the University of Utah last weekend.

Sources said the group of young men disrupted the competition, screaming “put Livvy in” to the point that security had to be called, according to Slate.

The crazed fans made enough of an impact that LSU’s head coach, Jay Clark, said they’d be adding “security detail” when the team goes on the road.

"We will be working to create a perimeter around where we get on the bus, where we load," Clark said according to TMZ.

"I take our team's safety and security very seriously."

Dunne took to Twitter on 8 January asking fans to "be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community."

@livvydunne

Dunne first started gaining online fame in 2019 after posting gymnastic-related videos to TikTok.

By 2021, she had over four million followers on TikTok and one million on Instagram.

Although it has led to concerns about the way men approach and treat Dunne, her large following has also allowed her to earn income as the NCAA ruled student-athletes can earn money from their name, image, and likeness.

Dunne is the second most-followed NCAA athlete on Instagram,

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