Entertainment

Mass. ‘selfie kid’ on viral Super Bowl fame: ‘My phone just exploded’

The local teen went viral after he snapped a selfie with Justin Timberlake during the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show.

By Kevin Slane

1 minute to read

In 2015, there was ‘left shark.’ In 2017, Lady Gaga caught a football pass mid-air. This year, the Super Bowl halftime show meme win resoundingly goes to ‘selfie kid.’

Turns out, ‘selfie kid’ is a 13-year-old from Scituate.

During Justin Timberlake’s Sunday night performance, the pop star walked through the crowd and came across a teenage boy with a phone in hand. Thanks to Timberlake, that boy, whom Good Morning America identifies as 13-year-old Ryan of Scituate, got a selfie with the star — and loads of internet fame.

#SelfieKid, as he quickly became known, was interviewed on “Good Morning America” Monday morning, and he explained why he was on his phone right when Timberlake walked up next to him.

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“I had a video going and my phone shut off,” Ryan said. “That’s why I was on my phone. And I love him, because he’s, like, my favorite singer, and I had to get the selfie with him.”

Ryan said the response to his brush with Timberlake has been overwhelming.

“Immediately right after, my phone just exploded,” Ryan said. “And then last night, I got 8,000 more followers on Snapchat and Instagram, and everything’s just exploding.”

Ryan, who was still in Minnesota when GMA interviewed him, said that despite the Patriots’ loss, he’ll still treasure his Super Bowl memory.

“It was definitely a great opportunity,” he said. “This was insane, like this was crazy that I got to meet him and get a picture with him, because he’s awesome.”

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Watch Ryan’s GMA interview below.

Must-see photos from Super Bowl LII:

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