Texas Longhorns Special Teams Coordinator Marries Stripper “Pole Assassin,” Who Appeared On Jerry Springer With A Pet Monkey That Bit A Kid At Halloween Party
The love story we have all been waiting for is complete.
Texas Longhorns’ special teams coordinator, Jeff Banks, wed his former stripper girlfriend, Dani Thomas, AKA “Pole Assassin” over the weekend.
The nuptials come almost three years after Thomas made the news cycle when the exotic dancer’s emotional support monkey, who had performed onstage with her multiple times, allegedly bit a young child.
— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) July 23, 2024
Texas Longhorns Special Teams Coach Jeff Banks Marries Stripper Pole Assassin
Sadly, there were no signs of the monkey when the coach and Thomas got married in a private ceremony in Texas recently.
“Incredible 72 hours with our family and closest friends,” Banks captioned below a selfie of the newlyweds on the dance floor at the reception.
“We truly love you all now off to Barcelona for our honeymoon,” he added.
Other staff members at the University of Texas were out in full support of the newlyweds, who have been quiet since making headlines in 2021 after meeting in 2018, allegedly after Thomas split with his wife Kori, with whom he shares daughter, Sydnei and sons Gage.
They introduced themselves to the world in dramatic fashion, as “Pole Assassin,” who once appeared on Jerry Springer with her emotional support monkey “Gia” received widespread criticism and backlash when her pet allegedly bit a child in a Haunted House she set up in her yard for Halloween.
🤣😂You CAN NOT make this 💩 up!!!!😂🤣
The Longhorns just hired Jeff Banks who left his wife and kids to be with a stripper named Pole Assassin who has been on Jerry Springer and has a pet monkey who is a part of her stripping act!🤣😂
At the time, she vehemently denied the claims in a since-deleted Twitter post, per Sports Illustrated.
“I had a haunted house on one side gated off/ he had no permission to go pass the gate i had no idea he went in my back yard,” she wrote at the time.
“Neither did i know anything about a bite ! Until a doctor of neighborhood told me the treat a small bite. No parent have contacted me about it,” she continued.
“A 11 /12 year old child should know better then to enter someone yard without permission and old enough to also follow the rules. The rules were when u get to the gate turn around and come back out for candy every other parent and child did so,” she added.
“People lie so much it’s ridiculous ! Stop believing everything u hear ! And more of what u see ! SMH !”
Thomas Is First Longhorns Special Teams Coach To Make $1M Per
Texas Longhorns special teams coordinator Jeff Banks married his stripper girlfriend Dani Thomas AKA “Pole Assassin” this past weekend. (Photo: pole assassin/IG)
No specific information on what Pole Assassin has been doing for the past four years, but the relationship with Thomas, who joined the staff at the University of Texas in 2021 and became the first special teams coordinator to receive a salary of $1 million or more, seems to be super solid.
The wedding and excitement of a European honeymoon comes at a busy time for Texas’ football program, as head coach Steve Sarkisian’s group embarks on its inaugural season in the powerful Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Thomas’ love life hasn’t been a distraction to a squad with national championship aspirations that went 12-2 last season and returns Heisman candidate starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. The Southlake, Texas native recorded 22 touchdown passes and just six interceptions.
Arch Manning Is The Most Popular Texas Longhorn
If possible, there’s a backup quarterback at Texas who is probably more famous than Pole Assassin and her notorious monkey, and that’s Arch Manning, Peyton and Eli Manning’s nephew.
Manning is going to come off the bench after redshirting last season. “We’re probably going to need both [Ewers and Manning] at some point this season,” Sarkisian told reporters.
In the meantime, all is well with the Banks family. From the pole to the playing field, Dani Thomas is living the dream. Once known another face in Jerry Springer’s clown court, she has transformed her life, found a new man with some nice bank, and he is the only emotional support she needs. She has obviously brought him much peace and happiness as well.
Texas assistant Jeff Banks & Danielle Thomas were married Saturday – Luv In The Club – based on Thomas’ Instagram. A 2021 lawsuit alleged Thomas’ pet monkey bit a child in Banks’ backyard on Halloween. In the suit, Thomas was ID’d as "Pole Assassin,” her stage name as a dancer pic.twitter.com/hbk99JKJ6H
The timetable on when the two actually met and details on how they met will make for a highly viewed Netflix special in the future.
Of course, social media is tickled by the entire situation, and the fact that it seems to be ending in an unusual love story makes it even more offensive to some and intriguing to others. It’s the stuff you see in the movies.
Any way you slice it, Thomas basically left his family for a stripper who is now his wife, so there is a modicum of respect she immediately demands at this point. Right?