Olivia Dunne thanks Paige Spiranac for standing up for her

Olivia Dunne has thanked Paige Spiranac for her public support when she criticized the New York Times for suggesting she uses her sexuality to make money.

Dunne was unhappy when last November a headline from a story she was interviewed read, “New Recommendations for College Athletes Revisit an Old Concern: Sex Sells.”

She posted a photo of herself in her gym gear with the caption “@NYTimes is this too much?” and golf influencer Spiranac stood up for her on Twitter.

Now speaking to Sports Illustrated, Dunne – who has an estimated net worth of around $2.3 million – opened up about her relationship with Spiranac, 30.

“Paige is such a great show that you can be beautiful and athletic and successful at the same time, so it’s really great to have someone like her stick up for me and be on my side,” Dunne said.

Dunne said how Spiranac has supported her when she faced criticism in the past

Dunne was previously frustrated with how the New York Times had profiled her last year

“The most important thing I’ve learned so far is that you have to keep certain parts of your life private,” said Dunne.

“Some things you don’t want the whole world to know about. That’s something she kind of helped me with. Just keep certain parts of your life private. Make sure you don’t post things that you might not want people’s feedback on.”

At the time of the New York Times article, Dunne was also receiving criticism from Stanford basketball coach Tara VanDerveer.

VanDerveer insisted the social media strategy was a “step back” in her criticism of Dunne.

“I think sometimes we have a swinging pendulum where we take maybe two steps forward and then one step back,” she said.

“We are fighting for all the opportunities to compete, to play, to have resources, to have facilities, to have coaches and all the things that come with Olympic caliber athletics. This is a step back.’

Spiranac said on Twitter: ‘I’m so tired of women belittling other women’s achievements because it’s done differently than they would.

“@livvyduinne gets hate because she makes 2 million a year. She built a successful business (at the age of 20) while a student-athlete. That is mean.’

Dunne began gymnastics at the age of three, and the New Jersey native is now one of the top earners in collegiate sports after raking in her first million by the time she was 18.

After years of competition, she made her elite debut at the 2014 American Classic and joined the US national gymnastics team three years later.

In 2020, she stepped away from elite gymnastics to attend college at Louisiana State University.

Dunne said Spiranac, 30, has shown ‘you can be beautiful and athletic and successful’

The 20-year-old Dunne has an estimated net worth of around $2.3 million thanks to her deals

Dunne grew her social media following by taking a peek into her glamorous life as an NCAA gymnast.

As of August 2021, she was the most followed college athlete with five million combined followers across multiple platforms. As of November, she has amassed more than eight million followers.

Dunne’s wealth comes from this rise as an influencer, where she posts sponsored ads on her social media pages that are flooded with pictures of the gymnast showing off her body.

Some of her recent deals have been with American Eagle Outfitters and Vuori activewear.