Livvy Dunne Speaks Out After Being Rejected From Buying Babe Ruth’s $1.6 Million New York Apartment

9 July 2025

Livvy Dunne was rejected from purchasing Babe Ruth’s former New York City apartment.@livvy / TikTok

Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, who rose to fame as an LSU gymnast and now commands a staggering $9.5 million through Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, recently revealed that she and her MLB-pitcher boyfriend Paul Skenes were denied the chance to purchase a historic apartment on the Upper West Side, once the home of Yankees legend Babe Ruth, despite being ready to pay in cash. Scheduled to finalize the deal this week, Dunne was blindsided when the co-op board unexpectedly voted against her application, informing her that “they voted not to have me live there” just days before closing (turn0news10).

The space in question, listed at $1.59 million, spans approximately 1,500 square feet across three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms, complete with prewar charm: high ceilings, oak floors, and a plaque commemorating Ruth’s time there between 1920 and 1940. Dunne and Skenes had already brought in an interior designer, joking that bringing college furniture into Babe Ruth’s apartment would have been “like, criminal” (turn0news10).

While Dunne emphasized that finances weren’t a concern, her application, backed by a clean background check, would have allowed them to pay outright the co-op board still turned them down. She quipped that the rejection might be due to LSU loyalties or public figure status. “They could have been Alabama fans and I went to LSU,” Dunne speculated, before humorously suggesting that fame perhaps works against one in co-op selections.

The rejection stunned both Dunne and her boyfriend, a rising star pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The decision underscores the often opaque nature of co-op boards in New York, which wield the power to reject buyers on vague grounds such as “fit” or “disruption” not necessarily financial capacity.

To Dunne, this would have been a milestone: her first real estate investment. Instead, the episode left her disappointed and reflective, using humor to process the outcome before saying, “I’m just disappointed, that’s all.”

This unexpected twist in Dunne’s real-estate ambitions attracted considerable attention. It highlights the realities facing affluent buyers who must navigate co-op boards and the exclusive New York residential market.

While Dunne and Skenes regroup, the spotlight lingers on what happens next. Will they pursue alternatives in the city or shift focus elsewhere? As fans and followers wait to see how they bounce back, this episode remains a reminder that even celebrities with deep pockets can be humbled by the quirks of historic real estate.