‘Baywatch’ Stars Olivia Dunne and Brooks Nader Shine on SI Swimsuit Issue Launch Red Carpet

The 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue red carpet launch party in New York City brought out veteran models, rookies and plenty of famous faces on Thursday, May 14. During the celebration held at the Hard Rock New York, SI Swimsuit stars and Baywatch costars Olivia Dunne and Brooks Nader shared a sweet moment on the red carpet as they hugged and posed for photographers, both clad in little black dresses.

Dunne and Nader, who each posed for this year’s magazine in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico, are both set to make their scripted series debuts on Fox’s Baywatch reboot when it debuts in January 2027. As for the 23-year-old LSU graduate, Dunne told SI Swimsuit on the red carpet that her work with the brand over the last four years has boosted her self-esteem incredibly.

Olivia Dunne and Brooks Nader | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

“I definitely think that Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] helped me build my confidence because obviously, the first time you shoot in Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], it’s so different than ... competing in a leotard,” Dunne explained of her personal growth. “So I really learned my angles, know what works, really get in my body and I’m so confident now that it was like easy breezy to rock that red suit and be in Baywatch.”

Dunne made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2023 as an athlete when she was photographed in Puerto Rico, and has been featured in each issue since. Her rookie photo shoot took place in Portugal, while the content creator earned the cover of last year’s issue following her feature in Bermuda.

Brooks Nader and Olivia Dunne | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

“Honestly, I didn’t realize that I was gonna find myself, like, this naked,” Dunne quipped of her gymnastics background, which gave way to her SI Swimsuit era and her soon-to-come scripted television debut. “I’m always in a bikini, I’m always in a leotard, but you know what, I am really enjoying my time on Baywatch, it’s so much fun, everybody on the cast is so strong, confident, beautiful and it’s so awesome to learn all the acting skills from my costars, it’s just been such a great learning experience for me and it’s been a blast.”

Olivia Dunne | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Nader, an SI Swimsuit legend, clearly manifested her role as a series regular on the forthcoming series with her own magazine cover back in 2023. The 29-year-old Baton Rouge native was photographed in a bright red-one piece that year in the Dominican Republic.

Brooks Nader | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

“I love red, it makes me feel so confident and it’s a power suit in a way,” Nader said before adding, “I feel like [SI Swimsuit] was the genesis of Baywatch for me because it was the start of my career and Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] kind of discovered me and now Baywatch, it all just kind of fell into place perfectly.”

More SI Swimsuit launch content