Olivia Dunne has leveraged social media to build a lucrative brand. The LSU gymnast and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model has earned fame as a social media influencer.
However, she is now claiming that one platform, TikTok, is "shadow banning" her content and limiting her reach. On Tuesday night, Dunne left a comment on one of her TikTok videos, asking:
"Why am I shadow banned?"
Shadow banning, the act of severely limiting an account's reach without notification, is an opaque but frequent practice across social platforms. While the criteria for shadow bans are unclear and their imposition unconfirmed, the precipitous decline in Dunne's TikTok viewership lends credence to her claim.
If Dunne's overall views on TikTok are down significantly, as reported by OutKick, her accusations of shadow banning may have merit.
Olivia Dunne has seen her stardom sky-rocket
Olivia Dunne has become a phenomenon well beyond the gymnastics mat and LSU. The 20-year-old's prodigious talents in the sport have earned US National team honors, yet her fame now transcends athletics altogether.
Leveraging social media and a momentous cultural shift, Dunne has constructed a personal brand dominating digital spheres inside and outside sports. Forbes and others peg her career income at over $2 million in just two years, with an On3 NIL valuation of $3.3 million that ranks first among female collegiate athletes.
While a gifted gymnast, Dunne's meteoric rise traces directly to her massive social media presence rather than athletic achievements alone. She now boasts 7.7 million followers on TikTok and over 5 million on Instagram.
Dunne earns astronomical sponsored post rates, including up to $7,400 per TikTok video. With over 13 million followers across platforms, Dunne reportedly makes $43,200 per sponsored Instagram post. However, Dunne's top-tier influencer status enables even loftier payouts on rare occasions. On the "Full Send Podcast," she disclosed that her highest single-post sponsorship deal has reached $500,000.