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'Chewbacca Mom' Gains Virtual Fame After Going To Kohl's For Yoga Pants

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Texas woman -- who has become known as the "Chewbacca Mom" -- is getting a crash course on life as a celebrity.

Candace Payne is now in high demand on the late-night talk show circuit and it's all because of her infectious laugh.

Last week, Payne was so excited about the birthday gift she bought herself she told all her friends on Facebook Live while in her car.

"Here we go. I gotta take off my glasses for it," she said in the clip before putting on the mask. "YES!"

And what followed after she put on the mask was uncontrollable laughter.

So far, more than 137 million people have seen Payne's video, breaking Facebook Live records.

Within days, she was an Internet sensation and has since flown to New York and L.A. for T V show appearances, including "The Late Late Show with James Corden."

"Entertainment Tonight" caught up with Payne while driving to the airport where she talked about what her daughter thinks of her new-found fame.

"She told me when she got home, 'Mom, I'm so popular because of you. Thank you, I'm just popular.' And I said, 'OK, we're going to bring down that in just a couple seconds,' " she said.

Payne said she was in Kohl's looking for yoga pants when the Chewbacca mask caught her eye.

Days later, she's a super star.

"I had to tell somebody, 'Yeah, I've got to be in hair and makeup.' I don't even know what that means. You know what I mean? That's hysterical in and of itself," she said.

And it's all because of a mask she calls a simple joy.

Her appearance on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" airs Monday on CBS2.

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