Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and social media star Livvy Dunne found themselves at the center of social media backlash after a recent GQ couple’s quiz.
Intended as a playful glimpse into their relationship, the short interview quickly went viral for awkward pauses and missed answers, prompting fans to question just how well the high-profile pair know each other.
Skenes, who burst onto the MLB scene as the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, has been one of the sport’s most dominant young pitchers, combining elite stuff with a poised demeanor on the mound.
Meanwhile, Dunne transitioned from a standout collegiate gymnast at LSU into one of the most recognizable influencer personalities in the country, amassing millions of followers across platforms.
Their relationship, confirmed publicly in 2023 after meeting at LSU, has often been framed as a “Gen Z power couple,” notable not just for their athletic success but for how they navigate fame on very different terms.
Dunne‘s social media fluency contrasts with Skenes‘ relative privacy and low engagement online, a dynamic they’ve discussed publicly.
Yet that difference in personality and public face was on full display in the GQ quiz, where moments that might otherwise have been dismissed as awkward among any couple became magnified under the spotlight.
When Dunne asked Skenes about her early work life, the pitcher guessed broadly, “influencer or gymnast, right?”, before Dunne clarified her actual first role as a coach, which she said “wasn’t my path.”
In another exchange, the couple struggled to answer questions about one another’s influences and history, generating reactions that suggested they didn’t know each other as deeply as some fans assumed.
Fans reactions were intense
Clips shared on social media spread quickly, with comment sections filling up as users debated what the snippets revealed about the relationship.
“Together because they think each other is hot and their status,” one fan wrote.
Another commented, “Had they ever met prior to this interview?” on Instagram, while someone else pointedly said, “This is embarrassing to post. Do they even like or know each other?”
One fan pointed out that Skenes seemed a bit out of it, writing, “What I love about Paul Skenes is that no matter how many times he has to film this sort of content, he always makes it clear he would rather be literally anywhere else. I respect that.”
Harping on Skenes‘ attitude, someone else commented, “That was pretty awkward. Not sure these people should be a couple. Being real. Zero chemistry and he seems extremely unlikable.”
Dunne and Skenes went public with their relationship in August 2023 after they first met on the LSU campus through mutual friends.
Their relationship has been a subject of fascination for sports fans and pop culture observers alike, but after this latest interview, some are questioning if they really have any attraction to each other at all.
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