The Olivia Dunne Photoshop Controversy Explained

Controversy about stars photoshopping their pictures is a tale as old as time...well, a tale as old as the internet. With her increasing online popularity, social media celebrity and college gymnast Olivia Dunne has been targeted for digitally altering her appearance in photos. If you aren't familiar with the Gen Zer, Dunne has amassed nearly 5 million followers on Instagram, where she posts personal snaps, gymnastics competition photos for Louisiana State University, and paid promotions for brands. Thanks largely to her endorsement deals, Dunne was named the highest-paid college athlete in 2023.

Of course, there's more to the story than Dunne's enormous success. Scrutiny about her photo alterations has accompanied her escalating fame. Body image is especially a hot topic among gymnasts, adding a deeper layer to the Photoshop claims. Dunne has been open about navigating her own struggles in this realm. In a November 2023 piece for Sports Illustrated, the athlete reflected on building self-confidence and body acceptance. "It's something that I'm still working on to this day—being confident," Dunne revealed. "SI's really helped me see that it's O.K. to not be perfect and to just be comfortable in your own skin." 

Dunne's presumed use of Photoshop has prompted fans to share why, in their opinions, these edits are so problematic.

Olivia Dunne has faced accusations that she's photoshopped her social media pictures on numerous occasions. The gymnast's since-deleted Instagram photos of her at a home meet sparked controversy in 2023. TikTok users remarked that the same photo from a 225 Magazine piece had some notable differences. Per In The Know, Dunne was accused of making changes to her hair, stomach, back, neck, and ribcage.

In one TikTok video, a user dove into her perpetual Photoshop usage, describing how frequently he sees her before and after pictures on TikTok. Aside from calling the alleged alterations misleading and damaging for young followers, he admitted that he found it "extremely sad" that she felt the need to do so. Another user shared their take in a TikTok video, saying, "She doesn't need to edit at all. And it's really upsetting to me that she feels like she needs to edit her pictures in the first place and uphold this impossible standard." Noting how gymnasts have been pressured to stay slim, she added, "This is just promoting such a bad message in the gymnastics space."

Some users, however, defended Dunne. In the latter video, one person commented that they didn't believe the changes Dunne had made were all that noteworthy since they didn't significantly change her appearance. Another user wrote, "I feel like the real problem is the people comparing the photos like that. like we all have insecurities she doesn't them pointed out like that."

While Olivia Dunne hasn't responded to the Photoshop controversy, she has fired back about online criticism. In a 2023 appearance on the "Full Send Podcast," Dunne called out The New York Times for their insensitive portrayal of her. The outlet's piece, which highlighted Dunne's social media persona, broke down the correlation between endorsements and the "sex sells" notion for female collegiate athletes. As it featured a photo of Dunne in her team leotard, she shared that she posted the photo and tagged the newspaper on her Instagram Story, writing, "Is this too much?" She told the podcast hosts, "You can't control how you look — I feel like a girl is not responsible for a boy's bad behavior."

In a 2023 profile by Elle, Dunne addressed harsh comments she received after rowdy young men caused pandemonium during a Louisiana State University gymnastics meet. Although the gymnast didn't compete, at least 100 men pressed to see Dunne. Following the chaos, internet users indicated that the gymnast "was asking for it" with her suggestive social media posts. Echoing her podcast remarks, she told Elle, "It's not a girl's responsibility how a man looks at her or how he acts, especially when you're doing your sport and that's your uniform. I can't help the way I look, and I'm going to post what I feel comfortable with." Dunne may not have a comeback for Photoshop accusations, but she's clearly fed up with condemnation about her online appearance.