Jeniffer Castro became an unlikely internet celebrity after refusing to give up her pre-booked window seat to a crying child on a short domestic flight in Brazil. What followed was a viral storm that Castro says turned her life upside down, damaged her career and left her afraid to leave her home.
The incident happened on a GOL Airlines flight from Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte in December 2024. Castro said a child was sitting in her assigned window seat when she boarded. She waited for him to move before taking her own seat, after which the child reportedly began crying because he wanted the window. Another passenger filmed Castro and criticised her for refusing to swap.
