The writer of this week’s Modern Love essay, Sandip Roy, stumbled upon the “plushie” community after gifting his boyfriend a stuffed Chewbacca, which they named Chewie.

Candace Payne, aka 'Chewbacca Mom,' talks with PEOPLE about her viral moment back in 2016 and how it completely changed her life. By Valerie Mesa. Published on May 4, 2025 06:00AM EDT.