Happy Women’s History Month to the Brazilian queen who refused to give up her seat to a crying baby and to her only! Some people like to conveniently forget some non-negotiable air travel etiquette, so let me take this time to remind you. 1.) You ARE allowed to recline your seat; that’s why it comes with a built-in recliner! If the person behind you doesn’t like the concept of their neighbor using public transport to its full capability, they should take their private plane with no one in front of them next time. 2.) The person sitting at the window gets to control the window… duh! 3.) You sit in the seat you paid for unless it’s Southwest, and then you sit next to the hottest/cleanest person you make eye contact with first.
So, why would a woman sitting in her assigned seat be controversial? Because we’re living in a late capitalism hellscape, that’s why. Here’s the latest on the woman who refused to give up her seat for a crying child on a plane, including her recent lawsuit.
Why did a mom ask a woman on a plane to give up her seat?
Jeniffer Castro, a 29-year-old bank employee who later identified herself as the woman in the viral plane video, was allegedly asked to get out of her chosen seat (that she had paid for) by a mom whose screaming toddler wanted to sit there instead. Yes, you read that correctly.
In December 2024, Jeniffer boarded the plane and located her seat on a domestic Brazilian flight but was surprised to find a child sitting there instead. In Jeniffer’s words, “I waited for him to correctly accommodate himself in another seat, and then I sat down in my seat,” but afterward, the mom asked her to switch back so her son would stop crying.
When Jeniffer declined (apparently, the family’s party already had a window seat, but the kiddo wanted hers specifically, of course), someone began recording as the mother questioned why Jeniffer wouldn’t move. Jeniffer says, as shown in the video, she was publicly shamed by people on the flight.
In the viral video translated from Brazilian to English by The New York Post, the off-camera mom calls Jeniffer’s choice “disgusting,” noting that she even checked if Jeniffer had “some kind of syndrome or something,” meaning a “disability” to justify her refusal. After the video went viral online, the comment section had a field day, eventually rallying behind Jeniffer and leading her to gain millions of followers along with some swanky brand deals.
Why is the woman from the plane, Jeniffer Castro, suing?
In March 2025, Jeniffer announced that she was suing the airline for her experience, stating that “an ordinary flight turned into an extremely embarrassing situation, exposing [her] unfairly and causing consequences,” which impacted both her “personal and professional life.” Jeniffer went on to explain that the viral video (which she did not consent to) made her “the target of judgments, attacks, and speculation from people who don’t even know the full story.”
Her reaction to the initial backlash online was “complete shock,” which Jeniffer claims impacted her mental health. Now, she has initiated the alleged lawsuit because “this situation should never have reached this point” since she was only “exercising a basic right” that “must be respected, regardless of other people’s opinions,” according to Jeniffer.
Jeniffer clarified in her statement that she is not suing the mother in question but the airline and the person who filmed her despite her saying “no.” She claims her goal is to “[hold] accountable those who inappropriately exposed [her] image and ensuring that this type of situation does not happen again to other people.”
The amount she is pursuing for damages has not been disclosed.
