Olivia Jordan

Olivia Jordan Thomas is an American actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2015. She represented the United States at Miss World 2013, where she placed in the Top 20, and at Miss Universe 2015, where she finished as the second runner-up. She is the first and only woman from Oklahoma to win the Miss USA title. Additionally, she holds the distinction of being the first woman to represent the United States at both Miss World and Miss Universe.

Jordan was born on September 28, 1988, to Bob and Jill Thomas and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a fourth-generation Tulsan. She attended Bishop Kelley High School before moving to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend Boston University. While in college, she became SAG-eligible through featured extra work in the films Ted and Here Comes the Boom. Because another member was already registered under the name Olivia Thomas, she adopted Jordan as her professional surname. She graduated in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in health sciences and subsequently moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling and acting.

Jordan began her pageant career representing Beverly Hills in the Miss California USA 2013 competition, where she finished as first runner-up to Mabelynn Capeluj. Later that year, she was appointed Miss World America 2013 and represented the United States at Miss World 2013, finishing in the top 20 and placing as first runner-up for the Top Model award.

On December 21, 2014, Jordan won the title of Miss Oklahoma USA 2015. She subsequently won Miss USA 2015 on July 12, 2015, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, becoming the first entrant from Oklahoma to win the title. During the finalist question segment, she advocated for Harriet Tubman to be featured on a new currency bill design; the U.S. Treasury officially announced Tubman's selection for the new $20 bill in April 2016. During her reign, Donald Trump sold his stake in the Miss Universe Organization, ending his affiliation with the pageant.

Jordan competed at Miss Universe 2015 on December 20, 2015, placing as second runner-up behind winner Pia Wurtzbach. During the competition, she wore a custom Berta Bridal evening gown and a national costume styled as a bald eagle superhero. She was the third American to compete at two major international beauty pageants, following Brucene Smith and Andrea Neu, and the first to represent the country at both Miss World and Miss Universe.

Following her reign, Jordan spoke openly about her political views, opposing Donald Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. In August 2018, she became engaged to British actor Jay Hector, whom she married in November 2019; they have one child. In 2019, following the passage of heartbeat bills in Alabama and Georgia, Jordan publicly stated that she was molested as a child and raped as a teenager, comparing the legislation to her experiences of having decisions made about her body without consent.