Livvy Dunne Reveals 1 Relationship Rule With Paul Skenes (Exclusive)

Livvy Dunne and Paul Skenes are each other’s No. 1 fans.

The former LSU gymnast spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about her romance with her MLB boyfriend and revealed the secret to their relationship when catching up at the 2025 Fanatics Fest in New York City on Sunday, June 22.

“I think that everything is a two-way road, so being fair,” Dunne told PEOPLE exclusively while chatting at the event’s Meta Innovation Lab to promote the limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN that will be available for preorder starting July 11.

The 22-year-old TikTok star, whose romance with Skenes, 23, was publicly confirmed in August 2023, also revealed the one rule they follow as a couple that makes their relationship work.

“We don’t restrict each other from doing things,” she shared, explaining, “I’ve been in relationships in the past like that — where it’s almost like you have a leash on you, you can’t do anything.”

“But he has a job to do and I have a job to do — I know that’s so important for two young kids in a relationship to realize,” she continued. “So yeah, we just have a good time and it’s a two-way road.”

Now that Dunne doesn’t have to follow a strict gymnastics schedule, having officially retired from the sport she’s known and loved since age three, she’s been enjoying the flexibility of getting to do things she couldn’t while training, like stadium-hopping to support Skenes.

“I’m trying to go to as many baseball games as I can. I really just enjoy watching him and he’s always on the go,” she said of her boyfriend, who pitches for the Pittsburgh Pirates. “He’s an athlete, so I get it. I get the grind.”

Plus, Dunne has new goals of her own.

“I am rating hot dogs at every stadium I go to,” she tells PEOPLE, adding, “I honestly really like PNC Park, where Paul pitches, where the Pirates are in Chicago.”

As for what Dunne sees for herself in the year ahead (hot dog ratings aside), she said she’s soaking everything in now that she has the flexibility without gymnastics.

“I think that taking every opportunity and seizing it and doing it to the best of my abilities because that’s just been in my nature because of gymnastics and being a perfectionist,” she said, like “saying ‘yes’ to as many things that feel right to me and being really good at it is what I want to do.”

Dunne has been keeping busy in a variety of ways since saying “goodbye” to gymnastics through a “love letter” to the sport shared on April 22, like being named one of the four SI Swim cover stars in this year’s issue.

The LSU alum spoke with PEOPLE at the SI Swim launch party in New York City in May about the honor.

“I really do feel like a different person than three years ago during my first shoot with SI,” she told PEOPLE exclusively at the time. “I feel like my confidence has grown. I feel like I’m a woman now, and I’ve really stepped into this new role, and I’m just so excited to be on this year’s cover.”

Dunne, who has 5.4M followers on Instagram and 8M on TikTok, also teased what’s next for her career (… perhaps involving a bit of a bigger screen).

“I’ve always said ‘no’ to opportunities way more than I’ve said ‘yes’ — so, I’m excited to do everything and be able to travel and to be able to do things on my time because it’s always been around gymnastics,” she began.

“My life has revolved around gymnastics,” she continued. “So, honestly, to be able to say yes to more things and potentially maybe do some more performing art stuff on screen — and I’m very excited.”

When asked by PEOPLE if that was a hint at acting, Dunne had a teasing response.

“I don’t know, I don’t know! Stay tuned!” she quipped.