Since donning a Chewbacca mask and laughing way, way past her 15 minutes of fame, Texas mom Candace Payne has visited the headquarters of Facebook, Lucasfilm and now Hasbro, makers of the toy that launched her celebrity.
It’s been about a month since the day Payne went to a Kohl’s department store “to make a couple returns” and ended up shooting a Facebook Live video in the parking lot. That video has been viewed a record 157 million times and Payne now has 800,000 Facebook followers. Of course, she addressed them all again from Hasbro HQ in Pawtucket, R.I., on Friday.
“If you know how to use emojis, all of you out here in Facebook Live world, I want you all to do the hand clap for these amazing people that develop stuff that your kids have thrown at you and played with,” said Payne, affectionately known as Chewbacca Mom now. “Mine just hit me in the rear with a lightsaber.”
Payne revealed that the toy company created a special Chewbacca action figure that was wearing a tiny Chewbacca mask. When she took off the mask, her own tiny face was behind it.
“Isn’t that hilarious?!” she howled.
With so many people watching her every move on Facebook now (368,000+ on that new video), Payne also did Hasbro a favor by telling her audience, “Go buy something fun from Hasbro today.”
Thrilled to have Candace Payne & her family here to visit us at #Hasbro HQ! #ChewbaccaMom #HasbroStarWars pic.twitter.com/GDI9GMSa6F
— Hasbro (@HasbroNews) June 17, 2016