We’re going to have to hear about the Fiji Water Girl for a while, aren’t we? For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, one of the companies that put their product on the Red Carpet at Last Sunday’s Golden Globes was Fiji Water. Makes sense, lots of interviews and exaggerated enthusiasm can leave one parched. Of course, Fiji wants their brand on camera as much as possible while there. And OMG did they get their money’s worth with Kelleth Cuthbert. She was hired by Fiji to pass out bottles that night and expertly inserted herself into virtually every celebrity photo. She didn’t just get the product in the background, but legit photobombed, looking directly at the camera, full face, with her tray’s products displayed prominently. People started noticing during the pre-show and found it pretty funny. But she kept up and made a name for herself – the Fiji Water Girl (FWG). I didn’t pay much attention to her. I saw the discussion on Sunday but scrolled past anyone talking about it. I wasn’t upset by it, but I didn’t want to waste any time on it either. Some celebs, like Lili Reinhardt, thought it was funny. Others were not as amused. Jamie Lee Curtis posted her thoughts about it on Instagram:
First of all, Jamie Lee Curtis is not in danger of being upstaged by anyone.People Live said yesterday that they didn’t get why Jamie was getting so bent about this, it was just a fun little stint. However, I totally see Jamie’s point. This is advertising and no amount of “quirky ploys” changes that. If you don’t want your name linked to that product, or just plain don’t want to advertise a product for free, you shouldn’t have to. It isn’t like Jamie went after FWG on the carpet, she simply told her and Moet she didn’t want to be posed with them. And if you take into account that Jamie asked FWG to stay out of her shot, that makes FWG kind of a d*ck. Have fun, fine, but respect someone’s wishes, for crissakes. Especially when they are doing their job.
FWG is riding this wave, of course – take your 15 when they come, right? E! gave her an award for her photobomb work. E! couldn’t be bothered to ask for a designer ID on a dress but had time to make up fake awards, apparently. FWG’s ‘acceptance speech’ was aired on Today. I like Carson Daly’s take, he asked if she’ll be an internet star for good or “more of a Katy Perry Left Shark thing…”. I can already hear the pitches for a Left Shark/FWG reality series. FWG was everywhere giving cute little soundbites about how to photobomb properly and how she was just having fun. I get she was doing a job, but so was everyone else on the red carpet. Except for E!, of course, who was too busy giving fly-by-night posers awards instead of doing theirs.
You know who’s the most pissed about FWG’s attention, these three ladies:
Photo credit: WENN Photos, Getty Images and Instagram
Oh lord, really?
She was interviewed by Sam Rubin, on the local LA news the next morning. Apparently she didn’t waste any time: she is now Fiji’s “Brand Ambassador “ SMDH.
You’d think she would be happy with any distraction considering how shit she looked at the GGs.
All I know is Richard Madden is HOT!
Dammmmmmmmnnnnnn. Faint.
LOL I’m torn. On one hand, the photo bombs are pretty hilarious. On the other hand, JLC has a point. I mean, these celebs spend tons of time and money preparing for their red carpet appearance and I can see why they would want a decent pic of themselves without a Fiji lady photobombing in the background. I also completely agree that it’s annoying to feel used to advertise a product, without permission.
That woman has cojones though. Not only would I never have the guts to be such a shameless promoter, but there is also no way I could do it without laughing.
I’m tired of people with “cojones” though. Tired of pushy annoying fame-hungry people.
Oh I agree. But ’tis the times we live in: lots of thirsty folks out there.
Except there are people all over the red carpet whose only job is telling other people where to be. They move people around. Posing celebrities in front of this camera and that camera, pushing them toward the next interview. Moving, pushing, prodding. They could have easily moved her out of the shots. This girl was doing her job. One that probably earned her 1% of what JLC makes. I’m not saying celebrities don’t have the right to choose what products they promote, but if they have a problem with it, they should take that problem up with the producers of the show who allow those products to be pushed on the red carpet. Not with the people who just need a paycheck.
Except if that were the case, then why was that *one* woman in so many shots and not the other three women who were there, promoting Fiji?
And I’m not denying the fact that Fiji is likely pumped about this going viral, but I’m also not convinced that they told her to try to get into every celeb photo on the carpet.
Also, the bottled water industry is EXTREMELY problematic for a multitude of reasons. I don’t blame JLC for not wanting to promote a company like Fiji. Aside from the obvious issue of commodifying water and its environmental impact, Fiji Water has a history of firing all of its employees and shutting down their plant when the Fijian government has threatened to raise the corp tax on them. So yeah, not a company that I would ever want my face associated with, whether Fiji Girl was “just doing her job” or not.
This makes Fiji look like they hire morons.
@Kitten agreed. I’d actually take huge umbrage with the product they’re advertising and they shouldn’t have used the rc shots THIS shamelessly, especially if the people in the pics specifically asked them to stop.
Thank you Kitten. Exactly, all of this a hundred times.
Neither. Could. I. I’d be red-faced and laughing every second of the gig.
It takes more pure water to make a plastic bottle so F the fiji girl Sit TF out.
My issue would be being used as a promoter for a product….ANY product.
Heck, I am so against being a billboard, I tear off any labels that show, or use a marker (matching fabric) to ink out any logos on clothes or shoes.
Jamie’s blast on the girl probably just helped a struggling actress get a better agent and work! Those girls are all struggling wannabe actresses, which is why they take those jobs ,for contacts.
Wasn’t Jamie a Miss Golden Globe girl years ago before she made it big?
Not to mention that their clothing and jewelry is often loaned with the intention of advertising. So while it’s no tragedy, the people who dressed these celebs probably aren’t thrilled by the distraction from THEIR advertising.
She has a weird stalker stare.
Love Curtis, totally understand she does not want to advertise Fiji. This is bad for Fiji too, makes them look stupid.
The girl was off to the side though. The angle of the photo had her in it, the other angles she’s off camera.
Was she placed there by the show and following instructions? Or photobombing on purpose?
I read that Fiji hired a Getty photographer to follow her and that’s why she was in so many photos. It wasn’t a cute accident but a purposeful marketing campaign.
You know what Jamie Lee was upstaged by? That terrible makeup and hair. She is such a beauty but that makeup and hair did her no favors.
I think the first few times the product placement was amusing. But I can understand how others would be upset, especially if you spent a great deal of time getting ready before the event only to be photo bombed.
That styling was so bad it’s unreal. She’s gorgeous, I can’t understand how someone can mess up so badly.
One of the very few you look at and say WTF? And WHO IS THAT??
That seriously ages her 15 yrs!
Beauty ? lol since when ? She’s never been particularly attractive.
She needs to get over herself.
@Rose, Jamie is a beauty, and is one actress that owns her age and isn’t interested in surgery and fakery to change that. She doesn’t need to “get over herself”. She is as honest and straightforward as they come.
Check out her Halloween premiere photos and come back and tell me she isn’t attractive lol. And that she wasn’t done dirty by whoever styled her this time.
That header picture of her makes me sad.
Right? Who told her she’d be edgy going monochromatic Casper?
😂😂😂
Her hairstylist needs fired ASAP, as her hair is styled like she’s pushing 70. There is platinum blond and then there’s gray, why any woman wants gray hair is beyond me, it adds 10 years right off the bat.
Well…tbh, when you’ve got darker hair, the grey doesn’t always come in nicely. At some point, she may have just gotten tired of coloring it and just embraced the grey outright by moving the process forward.
But that’s not the problem. Women are allowed to look old. It’s the eyeliner and nude lip that washes her out that’s bad.
Yes! Everything is brown, brown, brown, and then nude lip. I think nude lipstick makes women look like they have mustaches, it’s weird. I don’t know who it looks good on… but I’m a redhead and nude tones make me look spooky. It’s fine not to go full-on red, just use a tint that goes with your skin tone, with a little gloss for moisture and call it a day.
JLC is GORGEOUS and this makeup makes her look hard and old. Bizarre — hope stylist heads are rolling.
She looks exactly like her mom Janet Lee to me.
Beautiful lady too.
I’m….thinking this is more about the EXTREME reaction that Jamie has received about……well…I’on know WHAT her glam-team did to her…but they need to be bought up on felony charges…then about the water girl….
Each time I SEE these photos of Jamie…I AUDIBLY GASP…because…it’s unreal…
LAWD!
It is unreal. I said this before but she looks like an undertaker did her hair and makeup. She seriously could not look worse if she tried. I think the hair (the style, not the color) is especially egregious, so aging.
I feel like we’ve been forwarded to the 2030s. She looks like a 75-year-old JLC.
Her mother could pull off that hairstyle. It does not suit JLC, at least not now. Too drastic.
That’s it! It’s like she’s playing herself years in the future. So bad.
I knew she was a decent actress Minx, but damn, she’s brilliant. I can see my reflection looking at her right here right now!
It’s funny because in my younger years, I was always chasing the “right” haircut , color and makeup techniques that would just transform me into some beautiful creature. Eventually I realized that I am never going to be Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry, no matter WHAT my hair and makeup look like.
But then I saw THESE pics of JLC and thought, “well hair and makeup can’t be all that transformative UNLESS it is THIS hair and makeup.” Maybe all these years, my beauty routine has been equal to THIS JLC. And if I could only find my equivalent to what JLC usually has. lol
I found the advertisement distractive, rude and unnecessary. Good for her for calling this out. I would have been very annoyed aswell. That woman is on EVERY picture!
She has a point. I mean if Jen Aniston is getting paid $$$ for SmartWater, why should these celebs “work for free?” Whoever thought of this and sold out the celebs isnt’ helpful. Next year everyone will show up early, skip the red carpet and actually eat their dinner.
Organizers must you monetize everything?
Yeah, and when eating their dinner, they’ll carefully remove every bottle of Moet or Fidji clearly visible on every table, because you know being complicit to expose sponsors is so painful. I feel their suffering.
Simpler to boycott any award reception
I’m all for organizers stop monetize everything . Just make the guests pay an actual ticket.They’ll feel so better.
This chick took it too far…when people purposely move away and she still inserts herself into the pics and no one cropped her out…and I like Fiji water but it was a bit much.
She did move away, the photographer chose to take that picture at an angle. And they dont have time photoshop. They literally take their memory cards have them quickly uploaded and emailed off to Getty or whatever photo agency they’re working for so that blogs and publications have the photos quickly.
That is some extremely blatant photobombing. Wow. This turns me off to Fiji. Their shit is in like every picture!
I get promo can be annnoying. But its not like they were there for no reason. They were sponsors. Of course if they’re investing in the event they will want to re-coup that money by promoting their stuff. And if Jamie did want her picture taken by the Fiji Water girl she didnt have to stop there. The girl cant be on the entire red carpet at once. Plently of other places you can pose for a picture.
That’s not how red carpets work.
JLC looks harsh here – the Kirk Douglas look aint doin nuthin for her..
Events have sponsors. Typically there’s advertising everywhere on red carpets. This one was just walking around. The girl was rude and intrusive, but Jamie’s argument is a bit weak.
Right? Every major event that has a sponsor has that sponsor’s branding everywhere. At some red carpets it’s a back drop with logos, others have signage, others have more subtle branding – this even had ladies with water bottles. Would JLC have freaked out if she’d been pictures in front of a brand wall? Maybe she would have refused to pose for photos? She could have done the same here.
Personally I think it’s outrageous to have a tantrum when you attend a sponsored event and are then photographed alongside the sponsor’s branding.
I like JLC but she need to relax with the self righteousness here.
Usually the sponsors have their logo plastered in some background that’s not super distracting. People seem to forget that there’s a lot of controversy about plastic bottles now, and bottled water, so I get why someone would not want to be associated with that without their knowledge or consent.
Jamie needs to be upset with whoever did her hair and makeup. Fire them. ASAP.
Nope. Don’t like it. Not buying Fuji water every again. I get that it’s advertising and I get that this is the purpose but if celebs are not choosing to advocate or be the face of a brand they shouldn’t have to be. To top it off the FWG looks downright creepy.
Agree with JLC, if she doesn’t want to shill for a product she shouldn’t. However, JLC’s picture has clearly been framed by the photographer.
This shot doesn’t look like an intentional photobomb to me. FWG is clearly standing off to the side and not even looking in that general direction. The angle is weird and looks very deliberate. If the photographer chose to try and get FWG in the picture then that’s on the photographer. She’s guilty of being annoying, but I don’t think she’s guilty of defying JLC’s wishes.
I agree, when I saw it I didn’t think it was a deliberate photo bomb.
I fully understand Jamie not wanting her photo associated with a brand she receives no compensation for, especially if it’s a company she doesn’t approve of. Given that she expressed her wishes and it still happened, it sounds to me like she wants all product promotion off the red carpet, which is understandable.
Honestly, how is it any different than posing in front of a step and repeat backdrop with event sponsor logos all over it? Yet another case of celebrities needing to get over themselves.
It looks like for this event, most of the photos were done in front of the signs that just say “Golden Globes”, with no sponsored backdrops. I think most other major award shows are the same – google image the Grammys, Oscars, Emmys, etc. At most there’s the TV network symbol.
For other events that do have the sponsored backdrops, I would assume the people attending know if it’s sponsored by someone, can see the backdrop, and can agree whether or not they want to pose in front of it. That’s different than having a company photobombing everyone.
I so long for the day where there will be some tables with tap water pitchers and a few glasses so that if people get thirsty, they can pour some and move on… I think that’s what first annoyed me with FWG: we don’t need bottled water, we need good, clean tap water and no silly waste! If FW really want some good advertisment, they can go distribute free water to the people in Flint.
And I get why a recovering addict who talked about their struggles with substance abuse wouldn’t want to pose next to someone showing off a bottle of booze. Sponsors are useful, but it can lead to weird situations
good point with the recovering addict and the sponsor booze picture
that person is maybe advertising somewhere else products what helps you get over you addiction (just imagining) and then boom, you are “advertising” booze, your picture with a bottle of booze is everywhere…
the same can be with bottled water? if a person (not personally JLC) is an advocate for environment or such, this is rightfully would pissed them off
its like taking a picture of Pam Anderson next to real fur coats
I’d like to see which pictures from that day were real and which were photoshopped with FWG. I know it became a thing and funny but certainly there weren’t that many photobombs.
Wireimage has a specific section for it http://www.wireimage.com/search/#events?q=fiji/%5B775251590%5D&ep=1/60/1&s=3 In one picture Lili Reinhart is even drinking/sampling some water. My guess is that was a specific spot/station the girls were in.
Which again begs the question why Jamie would choose to pose there if she was against the marketing in the first place.
I am all for embracing your grey hair but that hair styling is terrible. It’s like she dried her hair with an industrial fan.
Kendall Jenner is same level of beauty with FWG. Pretty but commercial pretty. I am saying this because people don’t understand why fashion watchers think KJ is not high fashion model material despite possessing a nice body and pretty face.. FWG scores higher because she is born with that face, it’s all hers and that she is almost a decade older than Kendall yet she looks younger than her. See, without connection she’d be relegated to serving expensive imported water at GG.
JLC shouldn’t worry because she was unrecognizable due to styling, hair and makeup! LOL
I think allll these actors take themselves too seriously so I find the whole funny.
Cue Smart Water calling Jennifer Aniston telling her to get out and do some pap strolls with their product haha
It’s funny, but it’s completely obnoxious at the same time.
Omg this is the first I’m hearing this. My sides hurt. I’m laughing so hard I have mascara roads. Oh whew. That’s some funny shit. I’ll never get that face, the blue dress or the tray of water out of my frakking head. Lolololololol.
I’m surprised that whomever was managing the placement of people on the red carpet didn’t keep this chick away from the main photography spot. It doesn’t seem like this was an officially sanctioned advertising strategy so I wonder if someone is going to lose their job over this.
Theres thousands of pictures where the girl is no where is sight. I dont think this was the “main photography spot”. There was probably some designated stations/spots where the girls were told to stand and serve water. Of course they probably hired some photographers to stand there as well as they wanted promotion of celebrites trying water and whatever.
I snicker every time I see this, so it worked for me.
It was so funny because it was a first and so over the top cheeky
Anyone trying exactly this won’t be funny
Agreed that the woman went too far with the photobombing. In some of those pictures, it would be annoying to have to crop her out because she’s directly behind the people.
Why didn’t someone there at the event call her out on it? Surely someone working with the event saw her doing that and they should’ve told her to keep to one area. I also agree that if a celebrity doesn’t want to be seen with a brand that isn’t paying them, that they shouldn’t have to be. But obviously the “water girl” was the one doing the schilling, so that is a bit of a reach.
It’s not like this woman walked through people’s wedding photos. The photo with Mrs. Masel’s parents has a guy with a tie and goofy face. This woman worked her opportunity. She is going to be photoshopped into memes for years. She will get recognition as FWG for a long time. Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t need to hustle like an unknown. She had a famous mother. And, as people have said above there is usually a step and repeat on red carpets. This wasn’t the Nobel Peace Prize.
Anyone happen to read the Instagram comments following her post? They are BRUTAL and rude af
JLC used to be (I’m not sure if she still is) an ambassador for Activia yogurt which is owned by Danone.
With Danone owning Evian, it plays as a big competitor to Fiji water, so in my mind, JLC may still not want herself to be photographed with a competing brand (If she’s under contract, I don’t think she would be allowed to be photographed with it)
….Or she just really hates the taste of Fiji Water
Ah, makes sense now. JLC’s reaction is ridiculous and overblown but this explanation is very plausible.
I agree, Her reaction was a overblown and should have been worded a lot better.
I would have no issues saying to FWG, or the photographers ” hey all, I’m affliated with ‘so and so’ and cannot take a picture with you/ have this in my picture. Buuuuuut I’ll move over here and you can take all the pics you want!”
I wish she had said that in her post instead and possibly explained it better if that’s the case
Honestly, this is ridiculous. Jamie Lee Curtis comes off bad here, whiny and obnoxious. No one thinks she is advertising for Fiji and there are 100s of photos of Curtis without the Fiji girl in it. Yes, it was obnoxious of this girl and yet hilariously admirable at the same time. She had a goal, she went after it. Jamie Lee Curtis is overreacting. The girl is young and showed some hustle. If anything, that should be respected and applauded in a young girl. She wants to make it in Hollywood and now everyone around the world is talking about her. Good job, kid.
Yes! I completely agree. Jamie Lee needs to get over herself and roll with it. The photo bombing was hilarious.
Shocked that people still buy water in plastic bottles. Carrying around a commercial bottle of water is so 2005 and incredibly environmentally wasteful. Use your own bottle and fill it was water. Sheesh.
It isn’t always possible to bring your own water when away from home.
I’m grateful for Aquafina because it tastes almost as good as my own filtered water (our tap water smells even worse than it tastes) because like mine, it’s run through particulate, carbon, and reverse osmosis filters. They probably start with much better tap water than we have, too. I don’t like mineral water or carbonated water, so my life has been much easier since the market for plain bottled filtered water developed.
But at home, plastic bottles of any type are re-used or recycled. Probably the event had facilities for collecting empties and recycling them.
I prefer glass myself over plastic or steel, but they are a mess if they are dropped. The smashed glass on the sidewalks (puncturing my bicycle tires frequently) has almost disappeared since plastic bottles became ubiquitous. Perhaps reusable silicone skins on glass bottles would be helpful.
When I was a kid, there were no plastic soda bottles – all glass, and the stores took back the empties and gave you store credit.
She should be waaaaaaaaaay more upset with her stylist than the Fiji girl. Just sayin’
JLC has a contract with Dannon who also bottle water. Conflict of interest.
I saw a picture of Fiji Girl photobombing on some comedy show, and assumed they had just photoshopped her in.
She still looks photoshopped somehow to me, even though now I know she was for real… Maybe it’s because of the same pose over and over again?
I think I’m able to figure out that just because someone is awkwardly/weirdly posing with a product in the background doesn’t mean that the celebrity in the foreground endorses the product. I’m kinda smart like that.
I think the FWG is definitely creepy and “stalker-ish”, like someone else said.
I don’t blame the celebs for saying wtf regarding this.
LMAO
Regardless of how JLC looked on the red carpet, she has a very good point. Under case law and statutory law, celebrities and public figures have the right to control the use of their likeness or image for promotional purposes. What Fiji did here skirts dangerously close to usurping that right of control. Certainly they can never use these images in a marketing campaign without permission from the individual celebrities, or they face enormous liability for doing so.