Bully victim Keaton Jones receives support, gift offers from celebs
Fox411: After video of Keaton Jones' tearful recounting of being bullied went viral, the Tennessee boy has received an outpouring of support and gift offers from celebrities and athletes like Chris Evans and UFC’s Dana White.
A moving video that made a little boy famous is focusing scrutiny on his mom, she says unfairly.
Middle schooler Keaton Jones' video revealing his torment from being bullied at school went viral over the weekend. Celebrities including Chris Evans, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Gal Gadot took up his anti-bullying message, sharing the video with their huge social media followings.
Sometime during the massive outpouring of support -- the video has been viewed over 15 million times -- his mom, Kimberly Jones, set up a PayPal account where people could donate money, causing some to question her motives.
One public figure, Joe Schilling, a Bellator MMA fighter, who was touched by the young boy's heartbreaking story, reached out to Jones to invite Keaton to a show. He said he was surprised by Jones' reaction.
Schilling posted a video on Monday via Instagram 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. @kimberlyjones_38 @danawhite @gracegraciefit @snoopdogg @plies."
Schilling said in his irate Instagram post, "I feel pretty stupid right now. 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."
Schilling said he asked Kimberly Jones during their conversation what the GoFund me account was for to which he claimed she said, "You know Christmas is coming and I'm a single mother, blah, blah, money's tight."
The GoFundMe account in Keaton's name has over $58,000 in donations.
But Jones is fighting back against Schilling's claims, telling Fox News they are "untrue."
"I did not tell him that I would rather have donations instead of the help from celebrities," Jones said in an Instagram direct message.
Fox News reached out to Schilling but did not receive comment.
Jones is also under fire for some alleged posts on a personal Facebook page that has since been set to private. The mom of three is pictured posing with a Confederate flag in one snap, and another picture shows her son holding an American flag while another child holds the Confederate flag.
"I've taken that down for a reason," Jones told Fox News of her Facebook page, without revealing what that reason is.
Jones also took to her Instagram account on Monday to defend herself against claims she is using her son's story for money.
"I love my kids: Ya'll people do not know me or my family," Jones wrote. "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."
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.