Livvy Dunne and boyfriend Paul Skenes are both young athletes with their stars on the rise — which doesn’t always make their relationship easy to navigate.
Dunne, the celebrated Louisiana State University gymnast, and Skenes, the rookie pitching sensation for the Pittsburgh Pirates, started dating last summer. With their careers blossoming parallel to one another, Dunne, 21, exclusively told Us Weekly about the specific challenges they face.
“We’re always in different states,” Dunne said Thursday, July 11 on the 2024 ESPYS red carPet at the Dolby Theatre in L.A.. “We try to see each other as much as possible, especially while it’s my offseason during the summer. When it’s his offseason, he’ll come to LSU and visit me.”
Dunne also admitted that she and Skenes, 22, have been forced to contend with the increasing amount of attention surrounding them.
“Just being in the public eye, trying to keep things private. That’s definitely a little bit difficult,” Dunne said.
Still, Dunne said she and Skenes have become creative in making their long distance relationship work — even if it’s not always the most glamorous option.
“We just FaceTime,” Dunne said. “Just on the couch. We don’t even need to be talking. We just like to be in each other’s digital presence. It’s wonderful.”
It’s been a whirlwind couple of months for Skenes, the former No. 1 overall draft pick who has taken Major League Baseball by storm since making his pro debut in May.
Dunne gushed about Skenes’ accomplishments, saying, “I know how hard he works for everything he has now. Just to see it all pay off, there’s nobody more deserving.”
In fact, Dunne talked to Us while Skenes had just flirted with a no-hitter during his start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.
Skenes was pulled after pitching seven no-hit innings, which didn’t sit well with some baseball fans and pundits. “You’re six outs away, what are we doing?” Rich Eisen said on the Friday, July 12 episode of The Rich Eisen Show.
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The Foreo Luna Mini? It’s Kate Bosworth-Approved and 58% off! View DealDunne, however, appeared to take the controversial decision in stride, celebrating Skenes’ performance on Instagram.
“Slay,” she wrote on her Stories alongside an image of Skenes’ stats.
Skenes, meanwhile, recently posted a batch of photos from a recent trip Dunne made to Pittsburgh. In a carousel of pictures posted via Instagram July 2, the pair could be seen cruising together on a boat ride right outside PNC Park, where the Pirates call home.
