Captain America's Chris Evans is one of them, as he chose to cheer Keaton up by sending him some friendly tips on Twitter, together with an extraordinary surprise — an invitation for him and his mom to attend the "Avengers: Infinity War" premiere next week.
"Stay strong, Keaton. Don't let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better."
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) 10 декабря 2017 г.
A wave of comments immediately followed, with many thanking Evans and all the others for extending a helping hand, others sharing their own bullying stories and making unbiased judgements. Some say once you get bullied at school or even earlier, it’ll stay with you forever, making you deal with it for years to come:
That’s great. I was bullied in school on two occasions. One I snapped and dealt with it. The other, I was in complete fear of. That stuff lingers for a lifetime.
— Sean (@eGOmarine) 11 декабря 2017 г.
Nice move, Cap…nice move.
— S Turner (@MsSauntee) 10 декабря 2017 г.
Always thought that those who discriminate others (for whatever is in their mistaken hearts), in fact, they are self-discriminating.
— ∂ﾉﾒ∂ 🌸 (@shinetome) 11 декабря 2017 г.
What a Great Man you are, Chris.🌸💓
Rapper Snoop Dogg has also weighed in, saying Jones is welcome to get in touch with him by direct message, so that he can say a personal word of support to him.
"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 on Instagram.
Evans and Snoop Dogg are just two on the long list, closely followed by other movie stars, Mark Hamill and True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld. The latter posted a video, inviting Keaton to the premiere of Pitch Perfect 3 on Tuesday.
Hi @Lakyn_Jones, could you pass this message along to Keaton? ❤ pic.twitter.com/3l8P4fKAqW
— Hailee Steinfeld (@HaileeSteinfeld) 10 декабря 2017 г.
Even Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White reached out to Jones, who took the chance to welcome the boy to the UFC headquarters, prompting Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, to offer his support and assistance in case Keaton took White up on his invitation.
Meet Keaton Jones a very smart little boy who is being bullied at school. This video is heartbreaking!! I want to bring Keaton to Vegas and hang out at UFC Headquarters. If anyone knows how i can reach the family please let me know. Thank u everyone pic.twitter.com/BR8c4ldDFc
— Dana White (@danawhite) 10 декабря 2017 г.
This boy is incredibly brave and the video really got to me. @danawhite, If he takes you up on your offer to see UFC Headquarters, I would be honored to host him and his family at our place if they need somewhere to stay. https://t.co/EWx05o0yI0
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) 11 декабря 2017 г.
In a more recent post, Dana White appreciated netizens’ help as he was trying to contact Jones and stressed once again the kid "is special and we all feel it," adding "he was dying to meet him."
Thank u all for helping try to find Keaton. 1000% greatest post and response in my social media history. This kid is special and we all feel it. Dying to meet him!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) 10 декабря 2017 г.
The emotional video in which the Tennessee schoolboy described how he was being tormented at school has enjoyed over 18 million views since Sunday, his crowdfunding page having collected more than $29,000 for educational needs.
In the video, having spoken out against strong-arming, Keaton bravely sought to offer encouragement to other kids who are also battling bullies at school.
"People that are different don't need to be criticized about it," he said. "It's not their fault. But if you are made fun of, just don't let it bother you. Stay strong, I guess."
"We all know how it feels to want to belong," Keaton’s mother said in her post, "but only a select few know how it really feels not to belong anywhere."
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