Last night’s Golden Globes produced an unlikely hero.
The awards may be given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, but it was model Kelleth Cuthbert, dubbed “Fiji Water Girl”, who won the people’s hearts. Posing daringly close to some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Cuthbert successfully photobombed dozens of red carpet photos, always with a wry look on her face.
This woman holding FIJI Water at the #GoldenGlobes truly came to SERVE. pic.twitter.com/Aln54zOhKY
— E! News (@enews) January 7, 2019
Before long, Fiji Water Girl had her own parody Twitter account and the adoration of the internet. And Fiji, the official bottled water partner of the Golden Globes, didn’t mind the attention either.
We’re so glad everyone is talking about our water!
*senses ominous presence*
She’s right behind us, isn’t she? #FIJIwatergirl
— FIJI Water (@FIJIWater) January 7, 2019
In a statement to Fortune, Fiji said, jokingly, that Cuthbert had earned “the award for best supporting actress in (literally) every picture.”
But some saw Fiji Water Girl’s sudden popularity as a ruse. CNN called it the “most obvious PR stunt” of the Golden Globes.
Cuthbert managed to steal the camera from Nicole Kidman, Jim Carrey, Tony Shalhoub, and Idris Elba, among others.
This story has been updated to reflect a statement from Fiji.