Like any good relationship, Livvy Dunne and Paul Skenes’s romance has a few rules.
And that makes sense: she’s a former LSU gymnast and he’s a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. These sports-minded sweethearts are used to following the rules of the game or adhering to competition guidelines. Why not apply that discipline to their love life?
But while the official Major League Baseball rulebook is 191 pages long(!), Dunne’s key to success with her and Skenes’ romance is blissfully simple.
Livvy Dunne’s biggest relationship rule with MLB pitcher Paul Skenes
There’s really only one rule that Dunne, 22, has with her and Skene’s relationship.
"I think that everything is a two-way road, so being fair," she told PEOPLE during the 2025 Fanatics Fest in New York City. “We don't restrict each other from doing things 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.”
Dunne said that the 23-year-old Skenes 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. So yeah, we just have a good time and it's a two-way road."
The way to Livvy’s heart is through her stomach
Livvy told PEOPLE that she’s trying to attend as many baseball games as possible to see Paul play. “I really just enjoy watching him, and he's always on the go,” she said. “He’s an athlete, so I get it. I get the grind.”
In April, Dunne officially retired from gymnastics, a month after an avulsion fracture in her kneecap forced her to sit out her last LSU meet. However, she ends her career a champion, helping the LSU Tigers women’s gymnastics team win its first NCAA Championship title in 2024.
Dunne, who has 8 million TikTok followers and 5.4 million followers on Instagram, is now considered a high-profile sports influencer. She’s also a burgeoning foodie. "I am rating hot dogs at every stadium I go to," she told PEOPLE, adding, "I honestly really like PNC Park, where Paul pitches, where the Pirates are in Chicago."
Their love's going into extra-innings
Dunne and Skenes have been publicly dating since August 2023. They met when they were both attending Louisiana State University, according to TODAY.
"I would kind of see him around and I was like, ‘Who is this tall guy — this tall mysterious man,’” she said on an episode of Flau’jae Johnson’s "Best of Both Worlds" podcast. "I literally had no clue who he was, but I would just see him around."
The two were first romantically linked in June 2023. A month later, the Pirates picked Skenes as the 2023 MLB Draft’s No. 1 overall pick. And in August of that year, the two went public with their relationship.
Put some mustard on it
As of June 2025, the only really enjoyable thing about Pittsburgh’s season is the hot dogs.
Skenes and the Pirates (32-48) are currently camped out in the basement of the National League Central division. They’re 15 games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs.
While Skenes and Dunne’s love is a two-way road, the Pirates need to find a one-way street to success if they want to make a playoff run.