A woman who was recorded on a plane refusing to give up her window seat has claimed that she's lost her career over the incident.
Brazilian banker Jeniffer Castro, 29, found herself at the center of a heated online debate after refusing to relinquish her pre-booked window seat to a crying toddler on a GOL Airlines flight from Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte.
Upon boarding the domestic flight, Castro discovered a child occupying her assigned window seat.
Having specifically selected that seat in advance, she expected the child to move.
After the child relocated, Castro took her seat.
Throughout the 50-minute journey, the child continued to cry - a situation Castro acknowledged as understandable, though uncomfortable.
However, tensions escalated when an uninvolved passenger began filming her without consent, hurling insults in an apparent attempt to publicly shame her.
Per the Sun, the individual recording can be heard scolding Castro, claiming that she had no empathy for children.
The video rapidly went viral, sparking intense debates about airplane etiquette and personal boundaries.
Castro became the target of widespread criticism, affecting both her mental health and career.
"Since that incident, my life has taken a turn I could never have imagined," Castro reflected to the Daily Mail.
"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 backlash led Castro to leave her banking position.
She said: "Professionally, my life has changed a lot, so much so that today I am no longer in the field I worked in before. I was a banker. In my personal life, at the height of the repercussions, I practically didn't leave the house."
Amid the controversy, Castro's Instagram following skyrocketed to over 2 million.
Embracing her newfound platform, she transitioned into a social media influencer, securing multiple brand deals. Her content now focuses on fashion, lifestyle, and travel.
In response to the unauthorized filming and subsequent public shaming, Castro initiated legal proceedings against GOL Airlines and the passenger who recorded her.
She seeks compensation for the distress and damages endured, aiming to set a precedent against such behavior.
"I decided to sue the airline because what happened to me was a huge embarrassment, and this situation should never have reached this point," Castro stated.
"No one deserves to go through what I went through, being filmed, insulted, and attacked just for exercising a basic right."
Despite the challenges, Castro has embraced her role as an influencer, using her platform to advocate for personal boundaries and respect.
She emphasizes the importance of normalizing the word "no" and respecting individual choices without judgment.