Video of a young boy tearfully describing a bullying incident to his mother has gone viral, sparking an outpouring of positive messages from the likes of Justin Bieber, Luke Skywalker, Captain America and many others.

Tennessee mother Kimberly Jones recorded the video of her son, Keaton, after he called her to pick him up from school at lunch, because he said he was afraid to eat with the other kids. Tears stream down Keaton’s cheeks in the video as he describes how the other kids insulted him, poured milk on him and put food in his clothes.

“They make fun of my nose. They call me ugly. They say I have no friends,” Keaton says in the video, which his mother originally posted to Facebook.

“Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?” he asks. “What’s the point of it? Why do they enjoying taking innocent people and finding a way to be mean?”

He adds that it’s “not OK” to target people because they’re different, whether it’s him or someone else.

“People that are different don’t need to be criticized about it,” he said. “Stay strong, I guess… It’ll probably get better one day.”

The video racked up more than 17 million views on Facebook before it was taken down Sunday, but it continues to circulate on various social media platforms.

Keaton’s heartbreaking response to the incident struck a chord with many celebrities, including Captain America actor Chris Evans, who invited the boy and his mother to next year’s premiere of “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“Stay strong, Keaton,” Evans wrote. “Don’t let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better.”

He added: “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 L.A. next year?”

Evans’ co-star Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk, also invited Keaton to the premiere. “Can’t wait to meet you in person, pal,” he said.

Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner retweeted Evans’ original reply.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber shared the video on his Instagram page, where he praised Keaton’s sympathy for other bullied kids. “The fact that he still has the sympathy and compassion for other ppl when he’s going through it himself is a testament to who he is, and this kid is all-time,” Bieber said.

 

A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on

“You got a friend in me lil bro!” Bieber added in a second post. “Hit me up on (direct message) and we can chat!! Love you buddy!!”

Rapper Snoop Dogg also pledged his friendship to Keaton in Instagram. “Say lil Man U gotta friend in me for life hit me on dm so we can chop it up love is the only way to beat hate,” he wrote.

Actor Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” films, offered Keaton some advice for handling the bullies. “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,” Hamill wrote. “They’re just jealous because you’re so smart & handsome.”

“I stand with you,” actor Josh Gad said in a reply to Keaton’s video. “I’ve been there before.”


“As someone who was bullied this hurts and makes me cry,” singer Victoria Beckham said on Instagram. “Sending so much love to this brave young man.”

“Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown tweeted several positive messages to Keaton in response to the video.

Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays the vicious, bat-wielding villain Negan on “The Walking Dead,” promised to pay Keaton’s bullies a visit if they keep it up. “I’ll come down and have a chat with anybody getting on your nerves,” he said.

The video has spread throughout the celebrity community, prompting many kind messages.

But despite the outpouring of positivity for Keaton, his mother Kimberly soon faced a wave of online backlash over other posts on her Facebook page. A few of the posts showed her proudly displaying the Confederate flag, and one post from late August urged “butt hurt Americans” to “STOP crying… if you aren’t bleeding, no bones are sticking out and you can breathe.”

It’s not clear exactly what event the post was referring to. “Before y’all start talking to me about metaphorical, emotional, financial or historical blood and brokenness, don’t. Join a group,” she said in the post, which has since been hidden.

Many on Twitter interpreted the posts as racist, sparking a wave of angry responses to her and her son.

Comedian Patton Oswalt was among those who urged Twitter users to distinguish between Keaton’s hardships and his mother’s political views.

“Keaton didn’t get to choose the family that raised and shaped him, you smug ghoul,” Oswalt tweeted at one person, who asked if he was revoking his support for the boy.