Hollow Celebrity?

And I do mean hollow, literally.  Nowadays, the expression "famous for being famous" is common, but today's examples are amateurs compared to one celebrity in the late 1930's who was not even human, or even alive.  According to Life Magazine, as noted by Boing Boing, a soap carver living in New York began creating mannequins for upscale clothing stores.  One of his models, "Cynthia," took on a life of her own.  To promote his work, he began escorting her around town to all the hot nightclubs and parties.  She eventually ended up with a radio show, a movie part, and an invitation to the wedding of Wallace Simpson and the former King of England, Edward VIII.