‘Chewbacca Mom’ Has Allegedly Pocketed Over $400K In Gifts From Viral Video But Most Of The Money Is This One Major Item


“Chewbacca Mom“, Candace Payne, became a household name last month after video of her going absolutely bonkers over a talking Chewbacca went platinum viral. Turns out the video has not only made Candace a part of pop culture but also got a ton of freebies dropped right on top of her wookie cookie.

The day after the video went viral, Kohl’s dropped off thousands of dollars worth of Star Wars-themed gifts to the mom. Kohl’s was the store where Payne bought the Chewie mask. According to Time magazine, Payne also received “thousands of dollars worth of travel and accommodations to appear on talk shows, a $7,500 trip to Disney World and $2,000 worth of VIP access to Fan Expo Dallas.

Here are a couple more perks that came Payne’s way.

Since the video provided free publicity for Kohl’s, Star Wars, Hasbro and Facebook, Candace has been showered with gifts from all of them. Kohl’s gave her toys and gift cards.The Force Awakens director, J.J. Abrams, hung out with her for a sketch on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Hasbro gave her more Star Wars toys. Facebook head, Mark Zuckerberg, invited the social media star to Facebook Headquarters.

The sum total of all of the perks and bonuses totals around $400K but most of that number is because of the greatest gift of all bestowed upon the young mom of two. Payne and her family were given scholarships to Southeastern University, a small, Christian liberal arts university in Central Florida.

Not bad for one viral video.

[via ComicBook.com]