In a heartbreaking video, middle school student Keaton Jones describes his painful experiences getting bullied. "Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?" he pleads. "What's the point of it? Why do you find joy in taking innocent people and finding a way to be mean to them? It's not okay". [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a49beT37Bc0]] With tears rolling down his cheeks, he shares his distressful story. At school, bullies call him ugly and say he has no friends. Sometimes the torment turns physical, and they pour milk on him, or shove "ham down his clothes." “I don’t like that they do it to me," he says, while sobbing. “People that are different don’t need to be criticized about it. It’s not their fault.” [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/GalGadot/status/940261911517544448]] Keaton's mother, Kimberly Jones, posted the video on Facebook, and it got over 20 million views. Celebrities, athletes and public figures rallied to support the Tennessee boy. Chris Evans invited him to the premiere of Avengers: Infinity War. Hailee Steinfeld invited him to be her date at the premiere of Pitch Perfect 3. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano spent the day with Keaton, calling him his "new best bud." Mark Hamill, Millie Bobby Brown, Gal Gadot, Snoop Dogg - pretty much every famous person - tweeted messages of support. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BroadwayJay2/status/940013198027214848]] However, this being 2017, the backlash came quickly. Internet detectives combed through Kimberly Jones' posts on social media, and found offensive, potentially racist content, such as photos displaying Confederate flags and crass critiques of Colin Kaepernick's protest against police brutality. Rumors spread that kids bullied Keaton because he called them racial slurs, and many people pointed out Kimberly's hypocrisy. “My heart goes out to anyone dealing with bullying, but wassup with the racist images on Keaton Jones' mom's facebook page? Wouldn't that kinda make her a bully too?” tweeted actor Slink Johnson. But the best response came from comedian Billy Eichner: "Well I'm inviting Keaton to the Golden Globes and making him sit with the cast of Get Out." [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/nickstevenson11/status/940320776640712705]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/940279069387526151]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/RealDLHughley/status/940323371232796672]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/billyeichner/status/940303966692196352]] But perhaps the most disturbing revelation came from MMA fighter Joe Schilling. He contacted Kimberly Jones on Instagram (or at least, an account purporting to be Kimberly Jones). He invited Keaton to one of his shows - man, this kid is popular! - but the response was not what he expected. He shared a video on Instagram describing their interaction, with the caption: "Go look at her ig watch her story posts she just running a money scam. Really really sad and disgusting. Tagging celebrities trying to get them to donate to her go fund me account smfh." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BckQIaSln1o/]] "I feel pretty stupid right now," says Joe in the video. "I was pretty moved by Keaton Jones video so I reached out to his mom and was going to bring him out to LA for a Bellator event that's coming up, big show, and and introduce him to fighters, be his friend, and she just wants money. She just wants me to share her GoFund me account." When he asked what the GoFundMe account was for, she replied, "You know Christmas is coming and I'm a single mother, blah, blah, money's tight." The GoFundMe account in Kimberly Jones' name received $58,000 in donations, but is currently suspended. It's not clear if it was legitimate. Fox News contacted Kimberly through direct message on Instagram, and she disputed Schilling's claims, calling his accusations "untrue." "I did not tell him that I would rather have donations instead of the help from celebrities," wrote Kimberly. When asked why she took down her Facebook page, Kimberly simply replied, "I've taken that down for a reason," but did not elaborate on what the reason was. (I'm guessing it had something to do with all those photos of Confederate flags and "Dear Butt Hurt Americans" rants?) [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/JohnMayer/status/940288064181563392]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ParsonJames/status/940334374406430720]] According to Fox News, Kimberly wrote a message defending her family on her Instagram account (which has since been deleted):"I love my kids: Ya'll people do not know me or my family. Did y'all know that my son Keaton was spit on in school, picked on by teachers, that supposed to be there for him??? I'm guessing y'all didn't because y'all wanna steady Judge me and say I'm using him for money that's false." This situation got messy in a hurry, but at least it brought attention to the serious issue of bullying. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ParsonJames/status/940334374406430720]]  

It's been just four days since the video of a sobbing Keaton Jones told the world about the bullies at his school who mocked him so much that he feared lunchtimes at school. The video went viral, with a huge amount of celebrities supporting the Tennessee tween and helping raise awareness about bullying, and some even offering to take the 11-year-old to red-carpet events and special coaching sessions. However, it didn't take long for people to start condemning Keaton's mother, who posted the video to her Facebook, after pictures of her smiling and holding the Confederate flag were discovered on her profile. Keaton's video has cast attention to the mother-of-three's personal Facebook page leading to people finding the old social media posts. The Confederate flag is to some a token of Southern pride and to others a symbol of racism, slavery and white supremacy. Another picture of Keaton's older sister Katyn was also found on her Twitter account of Keaton and his siblings holding another Confederate flag, as well as the American flag and plastic guns. The pictures saw a backlash against Keaton's family, who were accused of being racist. She since hid her Facebook account from people being able to view it. Now, Kimberly has spoken out to defend the images during a pre-recorded interview on CBS This Morning. When asked about the images, she replied: "The only two photos – the only two photos on my entire planet that I am anywhere near a Confederate flag... It was ironic. It was funny." "It didn't have anything to do with racist intent?" the interviewer asked. "No. No. Absolutely not. I've said I spent most of my life being bullied and judged because I wasn't racist," Kimberly replied. Her daughter Lakyn also posted something similar on Twitter: "Those who know me and my family know we aren’t racist. My brother doesn’t say the “N” word. Please leave it alone." [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Lakyn_Jones/status/940358338306564096]] People also criticised the mother for the multiple GoFundMe accounts that had popped up since Keaton's video went viral, accusing her of profiting from her son's misfortune. However, she explained that they were all fake, bar the one that had received $58,000 in donations before also being shut down. Kimberly urged people to remember the matter at heart, and continue to share their support for her bullied son. Keaton, also in the CBS interview, said he was glad the video was circulated so widely around the internet. [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYEj9snU838]] "It made me feel like I had accomplished something real. Something that could actually change the world," he said. The middle-schooler explained how he thought of making the video himself after a particularly troubling experience at school.

"I had enough of it," he said. "They had said that someone was going to beat me up in lunch so I texted my mom and I said 'what do I do here?'"

Keaton's middle school is planning to hold an anti-bullying assembly on Monday, though the 11-year-old doesn't plan on returning to classes until after the holidays in January.

This week has been a rollercoaster as far as Keaton Jones is concerned. A very short time ago we didn't even know the name, but soon after we had seen his face and heard his story of bullying at school. The video, in which he asks his bullies, "Why do you find joy in taking innocent people and finding a way to be mean to them?", spread all over the internet, ultimately gaining the attention of various celebrities. The likes of Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato and Katy Perry came forward to spread his message and support him during the rough time he was going through. On top of this, he got an invitation to join Chris Evans to the premiere of the next Avengers movie next year. While the underlying issues were not solved, it looked as if Keaton's life was on its way up - but then the story got a little more complicated. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/939976020479938562]] Just a few days later people found controversial images of Keaton's mother, Kimberly, who was the one who filmed the initial video. Multiple pictures showed her alongside the Confederate flag, which many take as a symbol of a period of slavery and white supremacy. In a later interview she was asked about these photos, where she explained that they were "ironic". "I've said I spent most of my life being bullied and judged because I wasn't racist," Kimberly told the interviewer. "I feel like anybody who wants to take the time to ask anybody who I am or even troll through some other pictures, I mean I feel like we're not racist". [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYEj9snU838]] She was also criticised for the many GoFundMe accounts that appeared online in Keaton's name, accusing her of profiting from her son's misfortune. She claimed they were all fake, except for one that received $58,000 before being shut down. "They want to hate me, I mean, whatever, that's fine, but still talk to your kids," said Kimberly of the criticisms. "Talk to your kids because this is - this is - this is an epidemic." As all of this dies down, another level to the story has emerged, as it turns out that Keaton's father is apparently a white supremacist currently serving time in jail. Keaton's father, Shawn White, has been in prison since 2015 for a probation violation related to a 2012 aggravated assault conviction. TMZ have claimed that he is set to be released from Knox County jail in 2018, but his Facebook page revealed his support for white supremacy, both in his posts and photos displaying his tattoos. He has "Pure Breed" tattooed on his chest and "White Pride" on his stomach, and also shared a number of white supremacist memes relating to 'white pride' and 'aryan pride'. In addition, he is shown several times to be holding a hand sign connected to the Aryan Circle, one of the largest white supremacist gangs in US prisons. It is unclear the nature of the relationship he has with the family. The last shared photo of them together was before his imprisonment, and obviously Keaton shares a surname with his mother, so it may be that he is out of his life entirely. Regardless, the behavior of the parents doesn't need to reflect on Keaton himself, and his message of anti-bullying that started this all off.

Parents of a young boy have divided TikTok after they forced their son to hold a sign with the words: "I am a bully".

Footage of the boy standing by a busy road holding the large sign was posted to TikTok last Saturday by user Gavin Klein (who goes by the handle @usert0c8co0flo).

He filmed the incident in southwestern Florida, which saw a young boy holding a sign that reads: "I am a bully. Honk if you hate bullies." His parents can be seen sitting down close by on lounge chairs.

Meanwhile, the boy appears humiliated by the punishment and is seen using the sign apparently to cover his face.

The original poster, Gavin, captioned the upload: "Dads a bully."

The TikTok user is heard discussing the punishment with his friend from his car, with the pair both criticizing the parents for their methods of discipline.

The video has since gone viral with 6.2 million views, 1.3 million likes and more than 20,000 comments at the time of writing. Needless to say, the video caused a lot of division among TikTok users in the comments section.

Check the footage out here:

Some felt that the parents were teaching their son a valuable lesson while others agreed with Gavin that the parents themselves were the bullies.

One critic wrote: “Discipline is okay. Public discipline is not going to teach them anything.”

Another added: “Publicly embarrassing your child isnt the way to fix the problem. His parents probably bully him at home so he goes and bullies someone weaker.”

A third remarked: “Parents will literally do anything besides take their kids to therapy lmfao.”

However, many TikTok users felt the punishment was perfectly acceptable and was a great way to teach the youngster a much-needed lesson.

“If you disagree with this as a form of punishment, you’re soft lmao,” one person chimed in. “Kid needs to learn his lesson.”

Another agreed: “That’s parenting. Discipline, embarrassment to make them never do it again. That def ain’t mean.”

What are your thoughts on it all? Let us know in the comments!

Featured Image Credit: Alamy / True Images

Earlier this week, people on social media provided an outpouring of support for a Brisbane mom and her son after it was revealed the young schoolboy was being "constantly bullied".

Mom Yarraka Bayles live-streamed a video of her nine-year-old Quaden on Facebook as he sobbed uncontrollably following an incident with another pupil at his school.

Quaden was born with achondroplasia - the most common form of short-limbed Dwarfism - which Yarraka says has resulted in constant teasing from his peers, SBS reports.

In the video, Quaden talks about how he wants to die, telling his mom: "Give me a knife, I'm going to kill myself."

You can watch the video below (warning: some people may find the footage upsetting):

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/2K880dgb-izxriqNH.mp4||2K880dgb]]

Since being shared to Facebook on Tuesday, the video has since been viewed over 17 million times on the social media platform, and received more than 315K shares and nearly 150K comments (as of this writing).

Ms Bayles revealed to NITV News that the incident that occurred earlier that day involved another student at Quaden's school "patting him on the head like a little puppy" and "making references to his height".

Since live-streaming the video on Facebook, Ms Bayles says she has received an outpouring of support from the community, but also been criticized for the way she handled the situation. She says:

"I have copped a lot of backlash for it, I thought twice about deleting it [...] but I wanted people to see the effect bullying is having on my child. If I don't stand up and speak out for him, who will?"

However, the family has received a lot of positive responses from a range of people. First, comedian Brad Williams, who also has Dwarfism, started a GoFundMe in an attempt to raise $10,000 to help send Quaden and his mother from Australia to Disneyland in California.

At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised a staggering $192,000 - approximately 20x the original target.

Another star who has spoken out in support of Quaden is Wolverine star Hugh Jackman.

Taking to Twitter, Jackman shared a video to his 14.1 million followers simply captioned: "Quaden - you’ve got a friend in me."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/RealHughJackman/status/1230550736360083456]]

In the video, Jackman tells Quaden: "Quaden, you are stronger than you know mate, and no matter what, you've got a friend in me. So, everyone lets please be kind to each other - bullying is not OK."

The 51-year-old Australian actor added: "Life is hard enough, so let's remember, every person in front of us is facing some kind of battle, so let's just be kind."

Nine-year-old Quaden is currently the face of Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism, a campaign group against bullying.

PLEASE, if you or anybody you know is having suicidal thoughts, please reach out to somebody or contact one of the mental health charities below:

CALM: www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
Heads Together: www.headstogether.org.uk
Mind: www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
Papyrus: www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Samaritans: www.samaritans.org, 116 123

If you are a non-UK resident, please find a list of mental health charities HERE.