Olivia Jordan
Olivia Jordan | |
|---|---|
 Jordan in 2015 | |
| Born | Olivia Jordan Thomas September 28, 1988 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Boston University (BS) |
| Occupations |
|
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Spouse |
Jay Hector (m. 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title |
|
| Eye color | Blue[1] |
| Major competition(s) |
|
Olivia Jordan Thomas (born September 28, 1988) is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She was first runner-up to Miss California USA 2013. She was later appointed as Miss World America 2013 and competed in Miss World 2013, where she finished in the Top 20. Crowned Miss USA 2015 Jordan represented the United States at Miss Universe 2015, and was second runner-up. She is the first woman from Oklahoma to be crowned as Miss USA.
Early life and education
[edit]Olivia Jordan Thomas was born September 28, 1988,[2] and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Bob and Jill Thomas. She is a fourth generation Tulsan, and attended Bishop Kelley High School.[3] After graduating, Jordan moved to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Boston University. While a college student, Jordan became SAG-eligible through featured extra work in the movies Ted and Here Comes the Boom. While becoming a SAG member, Jordan learned that someone had already used the name "Olivia Thomas", and began using Jordan as her professional surname.[3] She graduated in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in health sciences, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling and acting.[4]
Career
[edit]Pageantry
[edit]Jordan represented Beverly Hills in the Miss California USA 2013 on January 13, 2013, where she finished as first runner-up to Miss California USA 2013, Mabelynn Capeluj. Later that year, Jordan was appointed as Miss World America 2013 and competed at Miss World 2013, where she finished in the top 20[5] and was also first runner-up for Top Model.[6]
On December 21, 2014, Jordan won the title of Miss Oklahoma USA 2015. She later won the title of Miss USA 2015 on July 12, 2015, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, making her the first entrant from Oklahoma to win and the first winner from the South since Kristen Dalton won representing North Carolina in Miss USA 2009.[7] Her question as a Miss USA finalist asked who she would choose as an American woman to put on the next new bill design. She named Harriet Tubman.[8] On April 20, 2016, the U.S. Treasury officially announced that it had chosen Tubman to be featured on the new $20 bill.[9] During her reign, Donald Trump sold his stake in the Miss Universe Organization ending his affiliation with the beauty pageant. Jordan represented the United States in the Miss Universe 2015 pageant held on December 20, 2015, where she was named the second runner-up.[10] Jordan wore a custom Berta Bridal dress to the evening gown portion of the competition, and was chosen among the top ten dressed in the competition.[11]
Jordan was the third person from the United States to compete at two major international beauty pageants after Brucene Smith, who competed in Miss World 1971 and won Miss International 1974, and Andrea Neu, who previously competed at Miss International 2013 and Miss Earth 2014. However, she had the distinction of being the first woman to represent the United States at two of the largest and oldest international pageants in the world: Miss World and Miss Universe.[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]In August 2018, Jordan became engaged to British actor Jay Hector, and they later married in November 2019. They have one child.[12][13]
Politics
[edit]After finishing her reign as Miss USA 2015, Jordan was vocal about her political beliefs. During the 2016 United States presidential election, Jordan was an outspoken critic of Republican candidate Donald Trump, and supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.[14] Following the 2019 passage of the Human Life Protection Act in Alabama and the Georgia heartbeat bill, Jordan publicly stated that she was molested as a child and raped as a teenager, and since "decisions were made for [her] body without [her] consent", she saw the passage of heartbeat bills as no different from her experience.[15][16][17]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Miss Universe 2022 | Herself | Preliminary judge[18] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Olivia Jordan". Brink Model Management. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Celebrating this birthday with the greatest gift". Olivia Jordan. September 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Tramel, Jimmie (July 14, 2015). "Pop culture: Tulsans know Miss USA by another name". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Local News - Columbus Ledger Enquirer". ledger-enquirer.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ SONYA SORICH. "Miss World 2013". Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
- ^ "News". missworld.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ "Olivia Jordan is Miss USA 2015". pageantsnews.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
- ^ Treasury Secretary Lew Announces Front of New $20 to Feature Harriet Tubman, Lays Out Plans for New $20, $10 and $5 (4/20/2016)
- ^ "Miss Universe: Miss Colombia mistakenly crowned as winner". BBC News. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
- ^ Norwin, Alyssa. "Miss Universe 2015: The Top 10 Slay In Gorgeous Evening Gowns". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ Hallare, Katrina (August 31, 2018). "LOOK: Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan engaged to actor BF". Inquirer.Net. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ Nardino, Meredith (November 8, 2019). "Former Miss USA Olivia Jordan Marries Actor Jay Hector: 'We're Both Really Ready for This Next Step'". Us Weekly.
- ^ "Olivia Jordan says she is 'hurt, but not defeated' by Trump win". GMA. November 10, 2016.
- ^ "I was molested as a child and raped as a teenager". Olivia Jordan. May 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
- ^ Owen, Charlene J. (May 26, 2019). "Pia Wurtzbach Reacts To Miss USA Olivia Jordan's Sexual Assault Revelation". Cosmopolitan Philippines.
- ^ Severo, Jan Milo (May 21, 2019). "Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan: 'I was molested, raped'". Philippine Star.
- ^ "LOOK: Miss Universe unveils all-female selection committee for 2022 pageant". Rappler. January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
External links
[edit]
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- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from Tulsa, Oklahoma
- American beauty pageant winners
- American female models
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American television hosts
- Boston University alumni
- Female models from Oklahoma
- Living people
- Miss USA 2015 delegates
- Miss USA winners
- Miss Universe 2015 contestants
- Miss World 2013 delegates
- Oklahoma Democrats
- American women television hosts
- 1988 births