Lea was not the representation of the cliché social media star; she did not even have followers in the thousands. She tried hard enough to discover what she loved: travel vlogs that showcased the splendor of forsaken places in Europe and delicious food finds. An audience just takes time, Lea knew well—she was only one in a million trying to become an influencer. But on the 19th of May 2024 at the Cannes Festival, everything changed. A fateful encounter with superstar Kylian Mbappé.
Woman gains a 100k followers overnight after video of Mbappé staring at her goes viral PIC.TWITTER.COM/HEFUHZSVAJ
— No Jumper (@nojumper) MAY 24, 2024
While Lea was having lunch at that very moment in the La Guerite restaurant, one of the most luxurious, then there could not be any denial that she found chances to sometimes stealthily glance around. Surprisingly, doing so, the eyes of Mbappe encountered hers for a while. It was an interaction for a single moment, but it proved to be electrifying for Lea. “It was surreal,” she recollects in a recent interview. “I’m in the middle of dinner for one second, then catching eyes with Mbappé! Didn’t know if I should smile or wave, but then he turned his eyes away.”
So, Lea didn’t know a passerby clicked a video right then. The video, with the simple title “Mbappé glances on mystery woman in Cannes,” became an overnight sensation. Suddenly, after having just a few thousand followers, Lea was topping 100K within days. “I felt overwhelmed,” said Lea. “My phone was just buzzing away with notifications. Yet mostly, I was excited. Maybe now, people could see the content I create!”
Lea’s journey goes to show that the power of social media could be utterly unpredictable. One view, one viral video, and everything could change in an instant. For Lea, real magic doesn’t stem from the short breaths of fame; it means the doors open to sharing her love with the world, going on adventure after adventure.
Fun fact: Kylian Mbappé is just 25 years old and is already a World Cup winner with France.
