A woman went viral for refusing to let a crying child sit in her pre-booked plane seat by the window.
Jeniffer Castro, a 29-year-old bank employee from Belo Horizonte in Brazil, found herself at the centre of an online storm following the incident in December.
A video of the event, which Jeniffer claims was filmed by another passenger, sparked a mixed response online. While some publicly shamed her, others defended the passenger.
As a result of the unwanted attention, Jennifer has now officially lodged a complaint against GOL Airlines. She also claims to have filed against the passenger who filmed her.
Citing “judicial secrecy,” Castro refused to disclose the amount and did not share the legal paperwork. She aims to prevent similar public shaming and what she deems unauthorised exposure in the future.
The row reportedly began during boarding – when she found a child in her pre-booked window seat. “I waited for him to correctly accommodate himself in another seat, and then I sat down in my seat,” she explained.
Castro’s discomfort grew as someone started filming her without permission. “Throughout the flight, the child cried a lot, which, although uncomfortable, is understandable when traveling,” she said.
“What surprised me was the fact that a person who had nothing to do with the situation started filming me without permission, insulting me and trying to publicly embarrass me simply because I didn’t want to change seats.”
Jeniffer was stunned to see the video go viral. She said: “My reaction was complete shock. I never imagined that something so simple could take on such proportions. 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. In addition to the emotional impact, I was also afraid, because we know that, unfortunately, there are many bad people in the world…
“Since that incident, my life has taken a turn I could never have imagined. 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.”
In the wake of the public scrutiny, Jeniffer has decided to pursue legal action. She said: “I decided to sue the airline because what happened to me was a huge embarrassment, and this situation should never have reached this point. 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 behaviour. We all have rights, and they must be respected, regardless of other people’s opinions.”