Social media fired up Friday night when Livvy Dunne, a gymnast and influencer who dates Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, showed up on the Target Field scoreboard.
Skenes started against the Twins and their own All-Star, Joe Ryan. The Twins’ camera crew showed Dunne on the scoreboard, citing her as a celebrity look-alike.
Certainly she is a celebrity. A former LSU gymnast — that’s where she met Skenes, who pitched for the Tigers — she’s better known now as a social media influencer, with about 8 million followers on TikTok and another 5 million on Instagram. She’s been known at times as the most-followed NCAA athlete and as the highest earner of “name, image and likeness” money. She was listed this week as one of Time’s Top 100 Creators.
Sports Illustrated noted her attendance and the moment she showed up bigger than life. “Dunne appeared to enjoy the gag, while Skenes struck out the first three batters of the game,” SI reported.
The New York Post weighed in, saying Dunne served “as her own doppelganger.”
Minnesotasportsfan.com wrote it this way: “In Minneapolis tonight, the Target Field production crew used the game to troll Livvy Dunne.”
The Twins got the best of Skenes, winning 2-1. Skenes gave up both of the runs in his five innings and fell to 4-8 this season.
