'Chewbacca Mom,' Candace Payne, breaks Facebook Live video record
Texas mom Candace Payne broke a Facebook Live video record when she shared a short clip of herself wearing a Chewbacca mask. Credit: Candace Payne
Who knew a simple trip to Kohl’s would make this Texas mother of two an Internet sensation.
In the store’s parking lot, Candace Payne shared a live video of herself on Facebook wearing a Chewbacca mask, hysterically laughing at the Wookiee sounds the toy makes. She tells her Facebook fans to be patient and that it’s worth the wait while she opens the box.
Once she dons the mask, she says “That’s not me making the noise, it’s the mask,” as she bursts out in laughter. “I’m such a happy Chewbacca. This is worth every penny.” The video’s caption read: "It's the simple joys in life.” Payne had no idea the joy this would bring to millions of people.
According to “Today,” the video became the most viewed Facebook Live video of all time. As of Saturday afternoon, the short clip received more than 109 million views, nearly three million shares and received more than two million reactions, breaking BuzzFeed’s video of a watermelon exploding that previously held the record for the most viewed Facebook Live video.
“I feel like I really helped people, and that’s all that matters,” said Payne in a “Today" phone interview. “People reach out to me, and they say, you know, ‘I battle depression,’ or, ‘I haven’t laughed out loud since such-and-such event.’ And that’s been so great. I’ve only been seeing positive feedback.”
Watch the video above or click here — and try not to laugh.
