Keaton Jones: Are his parents racist? All we know about the bullied boys' mother and father

The story of Keaton Jones, a middle school student from Tennessee, started out simple: A young boy made a video about being bullied, the video went viral, and hundreds of Americans rallied to his defence.

The reality, however, is much more complicated. In the days since Keaton’s video went viral, social media has brimmed with disturbing allegations about his family – including accusations of racism. While sympathy for Keaton still abounds, many people have found themselves wondering: What’s really going on here?

Keep reading for everything you need to know.

Who is Keaton Jones?

Keaton is a middle-school student who lives in Tennessee with his mother and two sisters. According to his mother, Kimberly, Keaton was born with a tumour. Treatment for the tumour required numerous surgeries, which affected the appearance of his face.

Earlier this month, Ms Jones uploaded a video to Facebook of Keaton describing the bullying he faced for looking different. He said other students made fun of his appearance, poured milk on him, and stuffed ham down his shirt.

“Just out of curiosity, why do they bully? What's the point of it?” he asked.

The tearful plea struck a chord with millions of viewers. The video was shared widely across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, rendering the bullied boy an overnight celebrity.

What has happened since he went viral?

The initial reaction to the video was heartwarming: Viewers flooded Keaton with messages of support, urging him to be strong in the face of adversity.

Millie Bobby Brown, the child actor who plays Eleven in Netflix's Stranger Things, tweeted that she wanted to be friends with Keaton. Rapper Snoop Dogg told Keaton to “hit me on dm so we can chop it up”. Chris Evans, the actor who plays Captain America, invited the boy and his mother to attend the premiere of The Avengers in Los Angeles next year.

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