Livvy Dunne Reveals Paul Skenes’ Sweet Reaction to Her SI Swimsuit Photos

Livvy Dunne has been everywhere this week — SI Swimsuit pages, The Tonight Show couch, Paul Skenes’ phone — and honestly, the man’s reaction to her latest photos might be the most wholesome part of all of it.

The 23-year-old former LSU gymnast and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star opened up to People about how Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes responded when she texted him that her new SI photos had dropped. Spoiler: he was not playing it cool.

“I texted him. I was like, ‘Hey, the SI photos are out.’ And he’s like, ‘Where can I see them?’” she laughed, noting she sent him a link. “As if he doesn’t know.”

“I was like, ‘Just look at everything,’” she added. “He loved it. Yeah, he loved it. He always does.”

Four Years Running and Still Flattered

This year marks Dunne’s fourth appearance in SI Swimsuit since her debut in 2023, and she’s not taking any of it for granted. She was one of four cover stars for the 2025 issue, shot in Bermuda, and the shine hasn’t worn off one bit.

“The fact that they keep asking me back — I’m just so flattered,” she said. “Every year, I feel like it just keeps getting better and it’s a new group of girls every year. This group of girls are amazing, so it’s just really an honor.”

After retiring from gymnastics following the 2025 season at LSU — where she was part of the Tigers’ 2024 national championship team — Dunne has leaned fully into modeling, content creation, and now acting. On Wednesday night, she stopped by The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where she taught Fallon the iconic Baywatch beach run. That appearance wasn’t just for fun: Dunne is set to star in a reboot of the beloved ’90s series, premiering in January 2027.

Making It Work, Miles Apart

Dunne and Skenes have been one of sports’ most talked-about couples since they started dating as students at LSU in 2023 — right around the time Skenes went first overall in the MLB Draft to Pittsburgh. They’ve had to get creative about carving out time together ever since.

Skenes, who is off to a scorching start this season at 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA (he struck out a season-high 10 in a 3-1 win over Colorado this week), was candid earlier this year about the logistical realities of their schedules. “I think Liv probably gets tired of traveling with me,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in January. “We might spend four days somewhere, but it’s really two because half of each day — the morning — is for me to train. We don’t get mornings. She can do whatever she needs to do in the morning. But we do not get mornings.”

Dunne’s approach? Stay intentional. “Honestly, I don’t think we have any rules,” she told People in February. “I just think being super present with one another while you’re together, while you have that time together, is super important. He makes time to come to my events. I make time to go watch him pitch. I try to make every start I can.”

Meanwhile, in the SI Swimsuit Comments Section

Dunne wasn’t just on the receiving end of praise this week — she was giving it out too. When fellow SI Swim model and DJ Xandra Pohl posted her Montauk shoot (photographed by Ben Watts, for her third consecutive year with the magazine), Dunne dropped into the comments with a very Livvy response: “MAMIIIIII. Oh my gawd.”

She wasn’t alone. Brooks Koepka’s wife Jena Sims chimed in with “So much personality in these 😍. Go girl,” while this year’s cover star Alix Earle — who, like Pohl, is a University of Miami grad — raved “Stunnnnnnn 🔥👏.” Earle’s warm comment felt notable given the pair had previously been linked to a long-running feud.

Olivia Ponton, who’s been spotted with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, had a very specific favorite: “The 4th pic,” she wrote. Apparently the SI Swimsuit comment section is just where sports-world women go to hype each other up, and honestly, same.

For Dunne, it all adds up to a week that looks a lot like her life right now: a magazine cover, a late-night appearance, a TV role on the horizon, a pitcher boyfriend who can’t wait to see her photos. Not bad for 23.