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Do the Texas Longhorns have a monkey scandal on their hands?

On Monday, a tweet from Thomas Campbell claimed a “credible source” said that a monkey belonging to Texas Longhorns special teams coach Jeff Banks attacked and injured a young trick-or-treater on Halloween.

According to USA Today, Campbell is a Texas sports photographer and once was a stringer for USA Today.

The tweet had curious fans digging for more information, and now it’s rumored that Banks is in a relationship with the monkey’s owner, Danielle Thomas — a former stripper whose stage name was Pole Assassin. The monkey, Gia, was apparently part of her pole act.


  Jeff Banks on the Texas sidelines on Oct. 30, 2021. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Jeff Banks on the Texas sidelines on Oct. 30, 2021. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Campbell, in a second tweet, added an image that showed a social media post by Danielle, inviting neighbors, parents and children to attend a haunted house at her home.

It’s unclear how the internet linked Banks and the ex-performer. The football coach has not addressed the viral story, and neither has the school.

However, Danielle began responding to the viral story and while she denied the severity of the attack, seemingly confirmed that a child was bitten by her monkey. She then deleted her Twitter account altogether.

In a series of tweets, Danielle defended her “emotional support” monkey, claiming that the “11/12 year old child should know better then to enter someone[‘s] yard without permission.”

Banks apparently uploaded a video to social media that showed her giving a tour of her backyard, where a sign to the monkey’s “home” read: “Do not enter. Emotional support animals no touching.”

I don’t even play when it comes to my animals and I know all the legal rules on them,” Thomas said in the video. “How could she viciously bite someone if they don’t stick their hand in there where it don’t belong?”

She claimed she has yet to be contacted by a parent.

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