A New Jersey teacher was in for a huge surprise on Friday after spotting a stranger some cash to pay for their food at a convenience store in the Garden State.
As it turns out, that stranger was Keith Urban, who was in the area to perform a show on his Graffiti U World Tour.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Ruth Reed, who works as a substitute teacher in Medford, told NorthJersey.com that she was in a local Wawa when she overheard a stranger ask their companion for some cash.
So she stepped in to pay, introducing herself to the man, who told her his name was Keith.
Reed shared that at first, she didn’t believe the stranger was Urban, and even asked him where wife Nicole Kidman was.
“I argued with him that he was not Keith Urban,” Reed recalled. “I said, ‘Yeah, well if you’re Keith Urban, where is Nicole and who is that woman you were with?’ He said ‘It’s my sister, let’s go ask her.’ My snippy words were, ‘Yes, I’m sure she wouldn’t lie to an old lady.’ I was so sure he was just yanking my chain.”
When Urban pointed out his bodyguard, Reed realized he was telling the truth and “just went to pieces.”
She asked to take a photo with the singer, with Urban obliging.
“He was so gracious,” Reed said. “He was just so nice. He was awesome.”
She later tweeted to thank Urban for the photo, writing, “@KeithUrban thank you for the photo at @Wawa. You were so gracious. I’m a celebrity with my FB friends now! Thanks!”
This wasn’t the first time Reed has picked up a stranger’s tab, as she shared that she has been paying it forward for the past three years.
“Three years ago, I made a resolution to treat somebody at Wawa once a week,” she explained. “I have done that ever since. It is the best. I would encourage everybody to do it because it makes you feel good about you.”
Reed added that she hopes her encounter with Urban will inspire others to perform good deeds.
“This was out of the blue,” she said. “Being at the right place at the right time and too stupid to recognize Keith Urban when you see him. But we always tend to notice what people do wrong and we don’t notice the good.”
Urban is currently touring the country in support of his most recent album, Graffiti U, and will also appear on The Voice this fall as the advisor to Blake Shelton’s team.
Photo Credit: Facebook / Joe Maggelet
