Bullied kid’s brave video draws kudos

A TENNESSEE boy bullied by classmates at his middle school has Snoop Dogg and Captain America in his corner after his tearful video went viral.

Worried mom Kimberly Jones posted a video of her son, Keaton, detailing the abuse, and his story struck a chord with athletes and entertainers.

Keaton (photo) said other students call him ugly, make fun of his nose and tell him he has no friends. He said he’s had milk poured on him and ham stuffed into his clothes. The mom had to pick the boy up from school because he was afraid to go to lunch.

“Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?” Keaton said in the video. “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. People that are different don’t need to be criticized about it. It’s not their fault.”

Jones posted the video Friday. It had more than 18 million views as of Sunday, and a crowd-sourcing page for Keaton’s future education had raised more than $29,000.

The video prompted an invitation from Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker to the family to an upcoming game. Country music star Kelsea Ballerini, a Knoxville native, tweeted she wants to be with Keaton to see the bullies apologize. Retired race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rapper Snoop Dogg both said Keaton should consider them his friends.

“Stay strong, Keaton,” tweeted Captain America actor Chris Evans. “Don’t let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better.”