Who is Keaton Jones’ mom, and why did she decide to share the video of her son?
Many people are talking about Tennessee middle-schooler Keaton Jones today — and for good reason. Keaton’s mother, Kimberly Jones, posted a now-viral video of her son opening up about his painful experiences with bullying. She hoped to spread awareness about the real-life impact bullying has on others.
According to The Washington Post, Kimberly captioned her original upload,
“My kids are by no stretch perfect, & at home, he’s as all boy as they come, but by all accounts he’s good at school. Talk to your kids. … We all know how it feels to want to belong, but only a select few know how it really feels not to belong anywhere.”
Kimberly’s original Facebook video is not available for public viewing. But several versions have made their way to other platforms and social media users are sharing Kimberly and Keaton’s video with the hashtag #StandWithKeaton.
This is Keaton Jones, he lives in Knoxville and he has a little something to say about bullying.pic.twitter.com/coyQxFp33V
— Everything TN (@Everything_TN) December 9, 2017
Many celebrities are also sharing Keaton’s story. Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Snoop Dogg have all shared the video. Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo have even invited Keaton to the premiere of Avengers: Infinity War next year.
The outpouring of support has apparently had a huge impact on Keaton and his family. His sister, Lakyn, has been communicating with supporters via Twitter.
Seeing my brother’s face all over the internet and people giving him support is the most amazing feeling in the world
— Lakyn
(@Lakyn_Jones) December 9, 2017
The Washington Post reported that Kimberly is also “humbled” by the growing support for her son. In another hidden Facebook post she wrote,
“Friends, overwhelmed is the understatement of the world right now. I’m humbled by the voice my boy has been given, but he’s still just a little boy, & he’s a little boy who desperately wants acceptance, that I have to try to find a way to navigate him through the difference in true acceptance & attention. I know God has His hand in this, & I trust that the right things will happen in the right time.”
Hi @Lakyn_Jones, could you pass this message along to Keaton?
— Hailee Steinfeld (@HaileeSteinfeld) December 10, 2017
“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
— Nickelback (@Nickelback) December 11, 2017
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/s1QwCQ3toi
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) December 10, 2017
You can learn more about bullying prevention at StopBullying.gov.
