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Snoop Dogg and Chris Evans rally in support of bullied boy Keaton Jones Justin Bieber and Katy Perry rally in support of bullied boy Keaton Jones
(about 4 hours later)
A Tennessee woman’s heartbreaking video of her tearful son recounting being bullied at middle school has prompted a wave of support from athletes and entertainers. A Tennessee boy has been inundated with support from celebrities on social media after a video of him tearfully recounting being bullied at school went viral.
Kimberly Jones said in a Facebook post on Friday she had just picked up her son, Keaton, from school because he was too afraid to go to lunch. Keaton Jones’s mother, Kimberly, posted the minute-long clip of her son apparently sheltering from bullies inside her car on her personal Facebook page on Friday. She wrote that she had filmed Keaton at his request “after he had me pick him up again because he was afraid to go to lunch”.
In the video, Keaton said other students call him ugly, make fun of his nose and tell him he has no friends. He said milk was poured on him and ham was put down his clothes. “Talk to your kids,” she concluded. “We all know how it feels to want to belong, but only a select few know how it really feels not to belong anywhere.”
“Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?” Keaton said. “What’s the point of it? Why do they find joy in taking innocent people and find a way to be mean to them? It’s not OK. In the video, Keaton says other students called him ugly, made fun of his nose and told him he had no friends. He says milk was poured on him and ham put down his clothes.
“People that are different don’t need to be criticized about it. It’s not their fault. If you are made fun of, just don’t let it bother you.” “Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?” he asks tearfully. “What’s the point of it? Why do they find joy in taking innocent people and find a way to be mean to them? It’s not OK.
The video had more than 18m views as of Sunday, and a crowdsourcing page for Keaton’s future education had raised more than $29,000. “People that are different don’t need to be criticised about it. It’s not their fault. If you are made fun of, just don’t let it bother you.”
“We all know how it feels to want to belong,” Jones said in her post, “but only a select few know how it really feels not to belong anywhere.” The video has been viewed more than 22m times on Facebook and has crossed over to Instagram, where it drew the attention of Katy Perry, Victoria Beckham, Justin Bieber, Cardi B, Snoop Dogg and other celebrities, many of whom made offers of friendship and gifts.
Actors Chris Evans and Mark Hamill were among the celebrities who sent Keaton messages of support. Bieber encouraged the boy to send him a direct message and endorsed the anti-bullying message to his 94.6m Instagram followers.
“The fact that he still has sympathy and compassion for other people when he’s going through it himself is a testament to who he is,” Bieber said in a video. “This kid is all-time. He’s a legend. Go check him out. His name’s Keaton.”
Bieber’s own video was viewed nearly 2.7m times in eight hours. The actor Penelope Cruz commented with six clapping emojis.
“This broke my 💔 today,” posted Katy Perry. “Please be kind to one another.”
The rapper Cardi B condemned Keaton’s middle-school bullies as “not gangsta”.
More than 2,444 posts on Instagram have the hashtag #standwithkeaton, some by newly established accounts such as @friendsofkeaton and @keatonjonessupport. A crowdfunding page for Keaton’s future education has so far raised more than $29,000.
Many more celebrities expressed their support on Twitter.
“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.” Stay strong Keaton, you’re a very brave young man and a lot of great folks have your back. @Lakyn_Jones if there is anything we can do for Keaton, please let us know. #StandWithKeaton #StopBullying
Stay strong, Keaton. Don’t let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better. While those punks at your school are deciding what kind of people they want to be in this world, how would you and your mom like to come to the Avengers premiere in LA next year? https://t.co/s1QwCQ3toiStay strong, Keaton. Don’t let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better. While those punks at your school are deciding what kind of people they want to be in this world, how would you and your mom like to come to the Avengers premiere in LA next year? https://t.co/s1QwCQ3toi
You are the MAN #KeatonJones. That video is powerful and correct. Bullying is not okay. ✊🏾
Keaton-Don't waste time wondering why a bully would be so mean-They're sad people who think hurting others will make them feel better because they really don't like themselves-They're just jealous because you're so smart & handsome❤️Your friend-mh https://t.co/SUMw3OoCTmKeaton-Don't waste time wondering why a bully would be so mean-They're sad people who think hurting others will make them feel better because they really don't like themselves-They're just jealous because you're so smart & handsome❤️Your friend-mh https://t.co/SUMw3OoCTm
Also on Twitter, Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker invited the Jones family to an upcoming game, while University of Tennessee wide receiver Tyler Byrd said he and several teammates plan to visit Keaton at school. You are the MAN #KeatonJones. That video is powerful and correct. Bullying is not okay. ✊🏾
Country music star Kelsea Ballerini tweeted that the next time she comes home to her native Knoxville, she wants to be with Keaton to witness the bullies apologize. Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, asked for friends of Keaton to pass on his offer of a tour of the UFC headquarters in Las Vegas. Donald Trump Jr offered to host the Jones family if they accepted White’s invitation.
Retired race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on Twitter he wants Keaton to “add me to your long list of friends,” and Snoop Dogg said on Instagram that Keaton “has a friend for life” and that “love is the only way to beat hate.” The UFC fighter Tim Kennedy offered support of a different kind to the boy in a video posted to Twitter. “I’m not good at many things but I’m decent with bullies,” he wrote. “If you ever need a sidekick, let me know. I’ll be there.”
@Lakyn_Jones Hello, Keaton (via your sister)! You may have heard of my parents, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (#MLK) and #CorettaScottKing. I try to honor them and their legacies. I’m so sorry about the pain you’re experiencing because of bullying. You matter. I love you. The Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano met Keaton on Sunday, posting a photo on Twitter of him with his “new best bud … the little brother I always wanted”. Several Tennessee players are scheduled to visit Jones at school on Tuesday.
So I got the chance to spend the day with my new best bud Keaton. It was unbelievable to get to know him and realize that we have a lot in common. This dude is very special and has changed my life forever. Now I have the little brother I always wanted! God bless you my man pic.twitter.com/vMHVtnf2rC
Kimberly Jones wrote in another public Facebook post on Saturday that she had received thousands of messages.
“Friends, overwhelmed is the understatement of the world right now. I love each of you for what you are doing, but there is literally no way I can respond or even read all of the messages,” she said. “I’m not trying to be rude, or ungrateful, I’m just overwhelmed & at the end of the day, this isn’t new for us, & we still have to truck on thru the day to day.”
Associated Press contributed to this reportAssociated Press contributed to this report