Sydney Thomas is capitalizing on her unexpected surge in fame, transforming it into a significant Hollywood footprint. At just 21, Thomas, who became an internet sensation as a ring girl during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson bout, has officially inked a deal with the sports division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA). This esteemed agency boasts an illustrious roster of athletic icons, including MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, NBA sensation Devin Booker, NHL legend Sidney Crosby, and WNBA star Cameron Brink.
Thomas broke the thrilling news on December 1st through a TikTok video encapsulating "the wildest week of my life." In the clip, which incorporated a snapshot of her meeting at CAA, she disclosed in the caption that she had officially "signed on the dotted line."
The model initially dropped hints about her signing with CAA on November 21st via an Instagram Story featuring two photos from the agency's LA office. Thomas shared a snap of herself gazing at an inspirational message on the CAA office wall, which partly read, "Everyone who enters this space has been driven here by an artist, an athlete, an extraordinary performance, or a memorable moment in pop culture."
For Thomas, her unforgettable pop culture moment arrived when she served as a ring girl for the Paul-Tyson fight, streamed live on Netflix on November 15th. Subsequently, her social media fame skyrocketed—with her TikTok follower count alone exceeding 1 million at the time of writing.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly post-fight, Thomas revealed that it didn't take long for her to realize her life had taken a turn for the extraordinary. "I woke up, saw my follower count shoot up, and read all the news articles written about me," said Thomas, who is currently in her final year at the University of Alabama. "I refreshed my feed and it was filled with pictures of me, memes, and everything else. That was the moment I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I'm really going viral!'"
Thomas admitted that her newfound fame was "overwhelming," but she was determined to handle it with grace. "At the same time, I'm incredibly blessed and grateful. What a unique challenge to embrace," Thomas expressed.
Looking to the future, Thomas, who will graduate with a degree in "management and entrepreneurship" this spring, showed excitement about seizing the moment while it's hot. "I believe my next steps involve continuing to build my social media presence, collaborating with [Paul's] Most Valuable Promotions, and embracing my role as a ring girl," she said. "I'm keen on focusing on the ring girl and modeling aspects of my life, sharing these experiences with the audience I've built."
Thomas added, "And of course, finishing school, graduating, earning my degree, and then seeing where this incredible journey takes me next."
