Getty Image / iStockphoto
- The next chapter of The Pole Assassin saga is beginning to unfold.
- A lawsuit has been filed against the Pole Assassin, her boyfriend and her monkey.
- Click HERE for more college football coverage!
The rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M is back on. This time, it’s taking place in a court of law.
A lawsuit has been filed against Longhorns special teams coordinator Jeff Banks and his stripper girlfriend, and the lawyer representing the plaintiff, Brian Beckom of VB Attorneys, is an Aggie. The suit is called “‘Amy Clinkenbeard; Casey Clinkenbeard, individually and as next friend of a minor v. Danielle Thomas, aka “The Pole Assassin”; Jeff Banks and was submitted on December 2, 2021.
The incident in question dates back to Halloween. On that day, a monkey named Gia allegedly bit a trick-or-treater. The monkey is an emotional support monkey, owned by Thomas.
Thomas, better known as The Pole Assassin, is a remarkable talent and an incredible athlete. She performs stunts on a pole that are truly jaw-dropping and Gia often performs with her on stage. They are masters of their craft and The Pole Assassin makes a lot of money.
Well, on Halloween, Gia allegedly went a little rogue and now the Clinkenbeards are suing for “gross negligence and defamation for exemplary damages.”
According to the lawsuit:
“Plaintiffs’ minor child was trick-or-treating with friends when they were invited to defendant Danielle Thomas’s home for a haunted house. Afterwards, the children were taken to a monkey that Thomas kept in her backyard and told the monkey was trained to give high fives.”
“Minor plaintiff attempted to high five the monkey, but the animal aggressively bit his hand and caused injuries. Thomas refused to provide vaccination records for her monkey and later falsely stated on social media that minor plaintiff did not have permission to be on the property and then had her friend go on the Bobby Bones Show to five a false version of the events.”
“Danielle Thomas’s actions ignited a media firestorm including articles on the New York Post, Fox, Barstool, Yahoo and countless other which then further spread through social media.”
The Pole Assassin offered a different story:
As mentioned in the lawsuit, Thomas immediately took to social media after the incident. She told her version of the story.
The Pole Assassin did not deny that the incident happened. However, she claimed that it was provoked and not vicious.
In addition to her written account of the events, which were posted on her since-deleted Twitter profile, she posted a video explanation. She claimed that the gate was explicitly marked. She also claimed that the child did not have permission to approach Gia’s cage.
The cage where Gia lives is tightly strung. As Thomas says, it is hard to imagine Gia “viciously biting” someone without said someone sticking his or her hand in the cage. The plaintiff alleges that the hand-sticking was encouraged.
Texas vs. Texas A&M:
Banks, who is the special teams coordinator for Texas Longhorns football, is the first coach to serve in his role and earn a million-dollar salary. He left his wife and kids a few years back and immediately began dating The Pole Assassin. He allegedly had quite a few affairs during his time on the road.
On the other side of the lawsuit is Brian Beckom. Beckom is a former college basketball player at Texas A&M and a four-year member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. He is described as “one of the leading lawyers of his generations” and has been voted a “Texas Super Lawyer” 14 years in a row.
Beckom is also a Board Certified Expert in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. That is a recognition shared by less than 2% of lawyers.
The rivalry between the Longhorns and the Aggies is back on. This time, however, it will play out in court.