Latest news with #GOLAirlines
IOL News
08-07-2025
- IOL News
Viral video sparks lawsuit: Woman stands her ground against toddler on flight
A woman from Brazil, faces public scrutiny for refusing to swap her window seat with a crying toddler. Image: YouTube A single boarding pass has sparked a global debate, and a lawsuit. What should have been a routine flight turned into a viral spectacle when Jeniffer Castro, a 29‑year‑old banker from Belo Horizonte, declined to give up her pre‑assigned window seat to a crying toddler. The clip, shared without her consent, thrust her into an international storm of online criticism and admiration. Now, Castro has taken legal action against GOL Airlines and the passenger who filmed her, hoping to reclaim her privacy and set a boundary around public shaming. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading What really happened In December, Castro boarded a GOL Airlines flight and discovered a child sitting in the window seat she had reserved. She politely waited for the child to move before taking her seat. However, another passenger who was unrelated to the family started filming the exchange without permission. Castro declined to switch seats, even as the child cried throughout the 80‑minute flight. Online fallout and personal toll The footage went viral, gathering millions of views. Castro's Instagram following ballooned to over 2 million, and she gained influencer deals. But the sudden fame came at a cost. She lost her banking job, suffered damage to her mental health, and became reclusive, fearing online backlash. Now, she claims her life has been upended. Castro has formally filed suit against GOL Airlines, citing its failure to protect her rights and privacy. Due to judicial secrecy in Brazil, she has not disclosed the compensation sought. She stresses this is not only about redress, but about setting a precedent: people should think twice before shaming strangers for asserting their rights. Castro said her intention is to protect others from similar harassment. She emphasises the importance of respecting personal choices, explaining that, 'no' shouldn't be met with judgement or shame.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Who Went Viral for Refusing to Switch Plane Seats Hits Back With Lawsuit
The woman who went viral after she refused to give up her window seat to a crying child has filed a lawsuit against the airline and the passenger who filmed her. According to The New York Post, Jennifer Castro is suing the Rio de Janeiro-based GOL Airlines in Brazil and the woman who filmed her. Castro, 29, is suing for distress and damages caused by the incident. The woman told The Post she's suing "to prevent similar public shaming." "Since that incident, my life has taken a turn I could never have imagined," she told the outlet. "What should have been just an ordinary flight turned into an extremely embarrassing situation, exposing me unfairly and causing consequences that affected both my personal and professional life. I was the target of judgments, attacks, and speculation from people who don't even know the full story." The ordeal unfolded on Dec. 4 when the Brazilian native boarded her flight. As she walked up to her seat, Castro found a child in her assigned window seat. It's been reported that the child wanted to continue looking out the window, but Castro ordered the child out of her seat. After the child moved and started sobbing, another passenger (not the mother) started filming Castro and chastised her. "I'm recording your face, this is disgusting," the woman said in Portuguese, blasting Castro in the viral TikTok video. "It's the 21st century and people have no empathy for children." During an appearance on the Cola Mais Podcast, Castro explained her side of things. "I said, 'This is my seat,' and waited for him to leave,'" she explained. "A guy across the aisle said 'Change with him, you sit next to the aisle and he'll have your place.'" But Castro wasn't having it. "The boy cried the entire flight, it was around 50 minutes from Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte," she continued. "The mother was very rude." Castro said her life turned upside down due to the incident. She said the repercussions affected her personal and professional life, and that she was afraid because "there are many bad people in the world.""I decided to sue the airline because what happened to me was a huge embarrassment, and this situation should never have reached this point," she said. "No one deserves to go through what I went through, being filmed, insulted, and attacked just for exercising a basic right. This lawsuit is not just about reparations, but also about setting a limit on this type of behavior." The incident caused an uproar, from people shaming her for refusing to give up her window seat on a 50-minute flight to others running to her defense. In fact, Castro's wave of supporters bolstered her social media following. Castro now has more than 2 million followers on Instagram.
