• Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne are reportedly competing to be the breakout star of the upcoming Baywatch reboot
• Nader plays series regular Captain Selene while Dunne appears in just three episodes as junior lifeguard Grace
• A source on set tells TMZ there’s been noticeable “tension” between the two over the Pamela Anderson comparison
• The friction reportedly spilled onto the red carpet at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch event in New York City
• The Fox reboot is set to debut as part of the 2026–2027 season, starring Stephen Amell as Hobie Buchannon

The Baywatch reboot hasn’t even hit screens yet and the drama is already running hot. Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne — two of the new series’ most buzzed-about cast members — are reportedly locked in a quiet but very real competition over who gets to carry Pamela Anderson’s legacy into the next era of the franchise.

A source on set told TMZ that there’s been “tension” between the two women, with conversations about who fills the “Pamela Anderson lane” becoming a recurring topic behind the scenes. Both stars have apparently been openly discussing the “next Pam Anderson” comparison at different points during production — which, as you might imagine, hasn’t exactly made for a breezy set atmosphere.

On paper, Nader has the clearest claim. She plays Selene, the sharp-tongued Captain of the Zuma beach lifeguards, and appears in virtually every episode of the reboot. Dunne, the gymnast-turned-influencer and LSU legend, plays junior lifeguard Grace — but only appears in three episodes. By screen time alone, it’s not close.

But screen time isn’t the whole story. Dunne’s social media reach is staggering, and sources say that influence hasn’t gone unnoticed during filming. When you have millions of followers hanging on your every post, you carry star power into any room — even one where someone else has top billing.

Red Carpet Tension

The behind-the-scenes rivalry reportedly made its way onto the red carpet at the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch party in New York City, where both women appeared together. According to sources, Nader was keenly aware of how the photographers were framing Dunne — and at one point directed the cameras to capture Dunne’s good side while they posed together. Whether that reads as gracious or calculated probably depends on who you ask.

Dunne, for her part, was celebrating a milestone of her own that night. She’s now been featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit for four consecutive years. “The fact that they keep asking me back — I’m just so flattered,” she said at the event, adding that she felt honored to stand alongside the magazine’s other cover girls. Her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, has apparently been her most enthusiastic cheerleader through it all — Dunne told People he always loves seeing her SI Swimsuit photos.

Nader’s connection to that same red swimsuit runs deep too. When she first put on the iconic Baywatch one-piece for the reboot, she told People she was “bawling, crying.” She’d worn a red one-piece on her own Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, so slipping into it again for the show felt like something bigger than a costume fitting. “It’s such a full-circle moment,” she said. “It’s such a big moment, and I’m so honored to be a part of it.” She even FaceTimed her family in the swimsuit — and they cried too.

What the Reboot Actually Looks Like

The new Baywatch is set to debut on Fox as part of the 2026–2027 season. Stephen Amell leads the cast as Hobie Buchannon, grown up and now carrying on his father Mitch’s lifeguard legacy. The central plot kicks off when a daughter Hobie never knew he had — Charlie, played by Jessica Belkin — shows up at his door and joins the Zuma beach crew. Her arrival also escalates existing tension between Hobie and Nader’s Selene, who runs things her own way and isn’t thrilled about the disruption.

It’s a setup built for drama, both onscreen and apparently off it.

For context on just how massive the shoes being fought over actually are: the original Baywatch reached over one billion weekly viewers at its peak. Pamela Anderson’s C.J. Parker — red swimsuit, slow-motion run, the whole thing — became one of the defining images of 90s pop culture. That kind of legacy doesn’t just sit quietly in the background. It looms.

Anderson herself has had a complicated relationship with the franchise’s revival attempts. When the 2017 Baywatch movie with Dwayne Johnson was in production, she told Variety that producers pressured her to do a cameo for free — framing it as an “homage” — and kept pushing even after she said no. She eventually agreed, but only without dialogue, showing up at the end for a single slow-motion scene. “There was just so much bullying to do it,” she said.

Anderson hasn’t publicly named a successor or weighed in on the reboot’s casting. But with two of the most talked-about women in the country both vying for her crown, it’s safe to say the conversation has already started without her.

The post Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne Are Both Gunning for the Pamela Anderson Spot in Baywatch appeared first on Cream.

• Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne are reportedly competing to become the breakout star of the Baywatch reboot, à la Pamela Anderson
• A source tells TMZ there’s been “tension” between the two, with both women openly discussing the “next Pam Anderson” comparison on set
• Nader appears in virtually every episode as lifeguard captain Selene; Dunne plays junior lifeguard Grace in just three episodes
• The rivalry reportedly spilled onto the red carpet at a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit event, where Nader was seen directing photographers toward Dunne’s angles
• The Baywatch reboot is set to debut as part of Fox’s 2026-2027 season, with a January premiere expected

The Baywatch reboot isn’t even on the air yet, and it’s already delivering drama. Behind the scenes of Fox’s highly anticipated revival, a competition is quietly heating up between two of its most high-profile cast members — Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne — over who gets to inherit the Pamela Anderson lane.

A source on set tells TMZ there’s been “tension” between the two women, with both openly discussing the “next Pam Anderson” comparison at various points during production. Anderson, of course, made her role as C.J. Parker one of the most iconic characters in TV history — the red swimsuit, the slow-motion run, the cultural imprint that lasted decades. At its peak, the original series drew over one billion weekly viewers. The shoes being fought over here are very large ones.

“There’s been some tension between the two,” the source says.

Who Has the Edge?

On paper, Nader has the clearer path. She plays Selene, described as “the sharp-tongued Captain of the Zuma beach lifeguards,” and appears in virtually every episode of the reboot as a season regular. The show follows Hobie Buchannon — played by Stephen Amell — stepping into his father’s legacy, and Selene’s clashing approach to lifeguarding puts her in direct conflict with Hobie from the jump. It’s a meaty, central role, and Nader has made no secret of how much it means to her.

Speaking to People back in March, she described putting on the iconic red one-piece for the first time as a full-on emotional moment. “I was bawling, crying,” she said. “It’s such a full-circle moment” — noting that she’d previously worn a red one-piece on her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, which made the whole thing feel like “a long time in the making.” She FaceTimed her family in the swimsuit and they burst into tears too. “It’s such a big moment, and I’m so honored to be a part of it,” she gushed.

Dunne, meanwhile, only appears in three episodes as junior lifeguard Grace. But anyone who’s underestimated Livvy Dunne’s reach before has regretted it. The former LSU gymnast-turned-mega-influencer brings a social media army with her everywhere she goes, and that kind of offscreen star power doesn’t just evaporate when the cameras stop rolling — it amplifies everything she does onscreen. Sources say her following hasn’t gone unnoticed during filming.

The Red Carpet Moment That Said Everything

The simmering competition reportedly made its way off set and onto the red carpet at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch party in New York City, where the two appeared together. According to sources, Nader was noticeably tuned in to how photographers were framing Dunne — and at one point directed them to capture her co-star’s good side while they posed together.

It’s a small detail, but it speaks volumes about the awareness both women have of each other’s positioning in this moment.

Both Nader and Dunne have deep ties to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit — another layer to this story that makes the dynamic even more layered. Dunne celebrated four consecutive years featured in the magazine at the launch event, saying, “The fact that they keep asking me back — I’m just so flattered.” Her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, is apparently her biggest fan when it comes to the SI spreads.

Nader, for her part, has been leaning hard into her Baywatch identity. In a recent Instagram dump from a cast dinner, she posed alongside co-stars Shay Mitchell, Dunne, Jessica Belkin, and Hassie Harrison — and announced the show’s January premiere with the caption: “January can’t come soon enough, ok back to saving lives!!”

What Pamela Anderson Actually Thinks of the Baywatch Legacy

Anderson herself has had a complicated relationship with the franchise she helped define. When Paramount revived Baywatch as a 2017 film starring Dwayne Johnson, producers pushed her hard to appear in a cameo — for free, framed as “an homage.” She pushed back, asking to be paid. They kept hounding her until she eventually agreed, but on her terms: no dialogue, just a slow-motion walk-on at the end. She told Variety in 2023 it felt like “so much bullying.”

Anderson hasn’t publicly named a protégé to carry her C.J. Parker torch into this new era — but Nader and Dunne have clearly decided the question is worth competing over themselves.

The Baywatch reboot hits Fox in January 2027. By then, the slow-motion running will be the least competitive thing happening on that beach.

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• Livvy Dunne revealed boyfriend Paul Skenes immediately asked “Where can I see them?” when she texted him about her new SI Swimsuit photos
• Dunne was one of four cover stars in the 2025 SI Swimsuit issue, shot in Bermuda — her fourth appearance with the magazine since 2023
• The couple, both 23, began dating at LSU in 2023 and have navigated a long-distance relationship ever since
• Dunne also appeared on The Tonight Show this week and is set to star in a Baywatch reboot launching in January 2027
• She also found time to fan out over fellow SI Swim model Xandra Pohl’s latest photos, dropping a very relatable “MAMIIIIII” in the comments

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.

The post Livvy Dunne Reveals Paul Skenes’ Sweet Reaction to Her SI Swimsuit Photos appeared first on Cream.

• Livvy Dunne made her Tonight Show debut on May 13, chatting with Jimmy Fallon about Baywatch and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
• Dunne revealed her first-ever audition was for The White Lotus — she didn’t get it, but landed the Baywatch role via self-tape callback
• She’ll play junior lifeguard Grace in the Fox reboot, alongside Stephen Amell, Hassie Harrison, Shay Mitchell, and Brooks Nader
• The 12-episode series has been pushed to late January 2027
• Fallon closed the segment by donning a long blonde wig and doing the iconic slow-motion Baywatch run with Dunne

Livvy Dunne officially has her late-night moment. The New Jersey-raised gymnast-turned-model-turned-actress made her Tonight Show debut on Wednesday, sitting down with Jimmy Fallon to talk about the upcoming Fox Baywatch reboot, her fourth consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover shoot, and the audition story that she clearly had been waiting to tell someone.

The Hillsdale, NJ native — who retired from gymnastics after helping LSU win the 2024 national championship — was in New York for a big week: the SI Swimsuit Issue hits newsstands May 14, and Fox held its upfront presentation for the new Baywatch series. She appeared alongside Jim Parsons and Chace Crawford on the episode, which aired at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.

The Audition Story She’s Been Sitting On

Before getting into Baywatch, Dunne gave Fallon — and the audience — the full origin story of her acting career. And it starts with a swing and a miss at one of TV’s hottest properties.

“Yeah, so actually my first ever audition was in person. Shout out my acting coach, Caroline. She’s in the audience right now,” Dunne said. “But I was obviously so nervous. And it was different because gymnastics, usually, you just go out there and perform on a four-inch beam. But this I have to talk and perform and play somebody else rather than myself. It was completely different.”

That first audition? The White Lotus. She didn’t book it.

But she kept going — and when the Baywatch opportunity came around, she submitted a self-tape with zero expectations. “I had really no expectation of what was going to happen. I got a callback — I mean, it’s iconic — and that’s the first callback I’ve ever gotten, and I ended up booking it,” she told Fallon.

Year Four of Sports Illustrated — and She’s Got Her Angles Down

Fallon also gave viewers a first look at Dunne’s shoot from the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue, which she’s now appeared in four years running. She’s clearly made peace with the camera.

“I feel like by year four I’ve perfected my angles, I kind of know what I’m doing at this point,” she said. “But I mean, year one, I was so young and I was a gymnast and it’s so different shooting in a bikini rather than a leotard… it’s just very different.”

The Baywatch Run, Performed Live on NBC

Fallon, being Fallon, wasn’t going to let her leave without a bit. He disappeared backstage and returned in a long blonde wig, ready to attempt the show’s most iconic move. Together, the two did the slow-motion Baywatch run across the studio floor.

He nailed it. Mostly.

In the reboot, Dunne plays Grace, a junior lifeguard, joining a cast that includes Stephen Amell as Hobie Buchannon (son of David Hasselhoff’s original Mitch Buchannon), Jessica Belkin, Hassie Harrison, Shay Mitchell, Brooks Nader, Noah Beck, and David Chokachi, who reprises his role as Cody Madison from the original series. The 12-episode run on Fox was originally expected this fall but has since been pushed to late January 2027.

Dunne has been open about taking acting lessons throughout the process — her coach Caroline, apparently, has a front-row seat to how it’s all going.

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