Olivia Dunne Reveals How She Really Feels Watching Paul Skenes Play

American gymnast Olivia Dunne and professional baseball player Paul Skenes made headlines in August 2023 when Skenes confirmed to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the pair were indeed an item. The story goes that Dunne and Skenes first met when they were introduced to one another by Dunne's roommate. "Just a small-world type of thing," Skenes recalled about the couple's meet cute. 

Alas, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows for the celebrity sports couple. According to Dunne, it can actually be downright nerve-racking. The athlete and TikTok celeb revealed to Bleacher Report that she gets more anxious watching her baseball beau saunter up to the pitcher's mound than she does gearing up for her own meets. "I get more nervous watching Paul because it's just different when you're not doing it, and you're not in control," the millionaire college gymnast confessed. "But I am confident in his abilities, and I kind of channel those nerves into excitement for him." Still, when asked if she thought Skenes would answer the question the same way, Dunne wasn't so sure. "I don't know. I hope so!" she chuckled. "I honestly don't know anyone who thinks the way he does. So, I genuinely don't know what he would say."

The world may never know how Paul Skenes really feels when his girlfriend Olivia Dunne takes the floor. He prefers to keep things private when it comes to the couple's budding relationship. Although, the Pirates pitcher did admit to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that their fame has affected their relationship due to the amount of attention the couple receives while out and about. "It can be a pain in the butt sometimes, to be honest, in terms of actually going somewhere. If one of us went out in Baton Rouge [La.] by ourselves, there's probably gonna be someone there asking for something — picture, autograph, whatever," he explained.

Still, Skenes has been adamant that Dunne has been instrumental in acclimating him to the world of Major League Baseball. "She's helped me in a lot of ways in terms of managing all the hype I guess, if you will, and how to manage everything that goes around being a pro athlete because she's kinda lived it," he told the MLB Network (via the Daily Mail.) "So it's been great."

As you may recall, Olivia Dunne was right by Paul Skenes' side when he got word that he had been called up to play in the Major League Baseball organization. "POV: you both wake up from a nap and find out he's in the MLB," Dunne penned over a TikTok video of herself doing a celebratory dance with Skenes standing in the background.

And in true fashion, Dunne was also cheering on Skenes for his inaugural MLB game with the Pittsburgh Pirates. "I had some nerves creeping in at first, but I kind of channeled that into excitement more than nerves," Dunne told sideline reporter Hannah Mears (via MLB.com) about the occasion. "I just have the most confidence in him ever, so I trust in him and what he's put in, and I'm just so excited," she gushed. She was also quick to give a nod to the fans for all of their support. "Pittsburgh has been so welcoming!" she said.

It should be noted, however, that Dunne has also intimated that she is doing her best to protect their relationship from the glaring spotlight as well. In November 2023, the gymnast told People that she was slowly but surely learning to keep certain things close to her chest. "I've definitely learned over the past few years that, this past year mostly, that keeping certain things private is okay," she explained.