chair girl toronto

Chair girl annoys Toronto judge by showing up late for court

The 20-year-old viral video star known as "chair girl" for hurling patio furniture from the balcony of a downtown Toronto highrise continues to play with fire this week as her sentence hearing finally approaches, carrying with it the possibility of six months in jail.

Marcella Zoia, a former dental hygiene student and current Instagram "model," was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to hear a Crown prosecutor's newly-submitted argument about how her now-infamous chair toss video first made its way online.

Chair girl showed up late.

"I'm astonished," said Judge Mara Green to Zoia of her tardiness, noting that she had "another case of great importance" to attend to.

Not the greatest words to hear, I imagine, from the person who is set to decide whether or not you go to jail in just a few days.

Zoia first made headlines in February of 2019 when she was captured on camera throwing chairs over the busy Gardiner Expressway.

The young Toronto woman has since been turned into a meme, kicked out of school, embraced her status as a digital influencer, and even scored a role in Drake's latest video — all while facing charges of mischief, property damage and common nuisance.

Despite the seriousness of the charges against her, Zoia had skipped at least five scheduled court appearances before eventually pleading guilty to a charge of mischief — endangering life in November.

The 20-year-old Toronto resident is set to be sentenced on Friday at Toronto's Old City Hall, where her hearing was put over last month after Crown prosecutors alleged that Zoia had posted the original chair toss video to Snapchat herself.

The Crown is asking for a six-month jail sentence, while Zoia's attorney, Greg Leslie, maintains that such a sentence would be excessive, given Zoia's young age and the fact that her "brain's not fully developed."

Lead photo by

Marcella Zoia


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