He's Baby Gronk. She's Livvy. He's got drip and she rizzed him up (and we've got it translated) (2024)

“Baby Gronk,” “Livvy” and “rizz” are the words of the week. But many online, even the most internet savvy, don’t know what they mean —let alone why they are being grouped together and have gone viral.

Technically, it all began in March, when the parents of a 10-year-old football player known as Baby Gronk uploaded a video to his YouTube and his social media pages. In it, Baby Gronk, whose real name is Madden San Miguel, is seen meeting Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia Dunne, known as Livvy to her over 7 million TikTok followers.

TikTok user Henry De Tolla, known online as h00pify, shared a clip from the original video, adding his own commentary and sprinkling slang throughout. “Livvy just convinced Baby Gronk to commit to LSU,” De Tolla says in the video. “Livvy rizzed him up.”

Months later, De Tolla’s video went viral thanks to one Twitter user’s repost. As of Thursday, it’s amassed more than 2.3 million views on TikTok and has been shared and reposted across Twitter and Instagram.

Some who watched the video questioned their age and their sanity, wondering why “Baby Gronk” and “Livvy” are trending and what “rizz” is referring to. Others appeared mesmerized by De Tolla’s delivery in the video, which features him looking unblinkingly into the camera while speaking in an enthusiastic yet monotonous cadence.

Even De Tolla, who is a rising junior at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he plays lacrosse, admits his video is a bit silly.

“If you don’t know what these words mean, it just sounds like I’m speaking gibberish almost,” De Tolla, 21, said in a phone interview.

NBC News broke down the key terms in De Tolla’s viral TikTok video so you don’t have to.

Baby Gronk aka Madden San Miguel

Madden is a football prodigy who is known on social media by the moniker “Baby Gronk,” referring to a “baby” version of retired NFL star Rob Gronkowski, who is also known as “Gronk.”

Although Madden is still years away from graduating high school, The Athletic reportedthat Madden’s father has shepherded him across the country for unofficial visits to different colleges and universities.

Madden is also familiar with social media fame. He’s been called a “future football SUPERSTAR” since he was 6 years old and has more than 319,000 followers on his verified Instagram account.

Madden’s father, Jake San Miguel, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an interview with The Athletic this week, he said Madden met Dunne on LSU's campus.

"We know her. (Through) mutual friends," he said.

He went on to describe the internet as "the new billboard," noting that while Madden's goal is "to go to the NFL ... the NFL is rare."

"So my goal is to build him a platform and a following where he is making money now and it’s going into a savings account," he said. "... That way he can live a good life without struggle or worry. It’s the insurance behind sports. You don’t have to go pro anymore. Like Livvy Dunne, she’s set for life already because of the internet."

De Tolla said he’s been in touch with San Miguel, who complimented him on the TikTok videos.

“His dad called me Tuesday night. He was one of the people who first told me about everything that was going on on Twitter,” De Tolla said. “He obviously likes the videos because they’re good publicity for him too.”

Livvy

Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, 20, is a junior NCAA gymnast at LSU and a social media star. She is among the highest-paid college athletes in the country, according to Sports Illustrated Lifestyle, and said she makes seven figures through social media and endorsements.

In De Tolla’s videos, he suggests Livvy has been deployed to charm Madden into committing to attending LSU when he is of age to play collegiate football.

Dunne did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Rizz

“Rizz” derives from “charisma” and is slang for charming or seducing another person. The word was popularized by YouTuber Kai Cenat in 2021, according to Dictionary.com.

In one of De Tolla’s videos, he says that Dunne “rizzed” Madden while convincing him to attend LSU. In another video, he jokes that Madden “rizzed up” Dunne and the 10-year-old stole the gymnastics star from her boyfriend, the “drip king.” “Drip” refers to swagger and style.

“Rizz” has proliferated on TikTok, becoming a common part of the platform’s vernacular. The hashtag #rizz has 15 billion views.

Why are people asking if Livvy rizzed up Baby Gronk?

While it’s all fun and memes on social media, Dunne did not flirt with or try to seduce Madden.

In the March 15 video, titled “LIVVY DUNNE KNOWS I GOT RIZZ,” Madden and Dunne met on what appears to be LSU’s campus.

“Hey are you that kid from the internet?” Dunne asks Madden in the 12-second video.

“Yeah, I’m Baby Gronk,” Madden replies.

Dunne asks what Madden is doing there and he replies that he’s going to play at LSU.

“You have to come here. It’s awesome,” Dunne says in the video. She then tells him he’s “so cute” and gives him a hug. That video has been viewed more than 1 million times.

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter covering youth and internet culture for NBC News, based in New York.

He's Baby Gronk. She's Livvy. He's got drip and she rizzed him up (and we've got it translated) (2024)

FAQs

Who rizzed Baby Gronk? ›

Basically, it's about Livvy Dunne “rizzing up” Baby Gronk and thus making him the new Drip King—the “rizzing up” could be interpreted the other way around, too. Unless you're well versed with the Gen Z lingo, you won't get it, no cap. Just know that Livvy made Baby Gronk the new "Rizz King." Confused?

Why is Baby Gronk called Baby Gronk? ›

The question regarding origin of the nickname has been answered with conflicting accounts; in 2021, Miguel stated that the nickname was coined by classmates during recess while they were chasing him, while Jake alleged in the same year that it came from when he was visiting Miguel's school and saw that he had an adult ...

Who is Baby Gronk's dad? ›

Jake San Miguel, Baby Gronk's father, said the nickname arose because his son weighed a lot more than anyone else his age. "We call him Baby Gronk because he weighs 20 pounds more than all the children in his grade."

Did Baby Gronk actually rizz up Livvy Dunne? ›

Baby Gronk rizzed up Olivia Dunne, again

Struggling to understand? So was Livvy, who responded: "I just had a stroke reading that." The backstory you need to know is that on several occasions, Baby Gronk has "rizzed up", or in other words, spit some game, at the LSU star. The term is used very loosely.

Who is the Rizz king? ›

"I always call him the rizz king, is Ryan Gosling. Sometimes I just call him Rizz Gosling, he is the epitome of rizz" (via IGV Presents)

How old is baby Gronks' girlfriend? ›

Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, 20, is a junior NCAA gymnast at LSU and a social media star. She is among the highest-paid college athletes in the country, according to Sports Illustrated Lifestyle, and said she makes seven figures through social media and endorsements.

What is Baby Gronks' real name? ›

Baby Gronk, whose real name is Madden San Miguel, announced on Friday he has committed to the Buckeyes.

What is a gronk slang? ›

GRONK - Australian slang, (noun) A total moron, an extremely unpleasant person or an unwanted guest!

How did Baby Gronk meet Livvy Dunne? ›

Even he had shared about meeting Livvy Dunne through his latest Instagram post, from his IG handle @maddensanmiguel. They struck poses together, which undoubtedly took over the internet. The association between the two dates back to March 2023, when Baby Gronk met Livvy, on his expedition to search for colleges.

Who is Camille with Gronk? ›

Camille Kostek and Rob Gronkowski knew the odds were stacked against them when they first met, but love finds a way. After realizing the NFL's regulations prohibited them from becoming a couple, the pair decided to break the golden rule and continue with their relationship.

Is Rob Gronkowski related to Baby Gronk? ›

Baby Gronk and Gronkowski are not related to each other. According to sources, Baby Gronk's father gave him the moniker to attract online attention from Gronkowski's fans, and the move turned out to be in his favor. Baby Gronk has managed to cross 300k followers on Instagram.

Who is Drip King dating? ›

So Paul put this picture on Instagram yesterday, officially making it official that Livi. is his drip queen. Not only that, he made the picture of Livi the first slide, which is absolutely crazy.

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