Is Keaton Jones a Scam? Details on the Bullied Pre-Teen's Rise to Viral Fame

A video posted by Tennessee mom Kimberly Jones on Friday of her bullied son's heartbreaking experience has been making the rounds on social media and inspiring millions, including A-listers like Cardi B, Millie Bobby Brown, Snoop Dogg, and more. In the video, Kim's 11-year-old son, Keaton, tearfully tells viewers that students made fun of the way he looks, poured milk on him, and put ham down his clothes. But as the video circulated online, many people took interest in his family's background — and were shocked at what they found.

Deal of the Day

Only $12! — (And No One Will Know They Aren’t Designer) View Deal

According to NPR, reports emerged on Monday that Kim had multiple images of Confederate flags on her Facebook account, which is now private. Later, a GoFundMe campaign started by a man named Joseph Lam in the name of the mother and son duo raised more than $56,000. However, the campaign is no longer accepting donations.

So how exactly did the heartwarming tale of human togetherness suddenly end in racism? Scroll through the gallery below for everything you need to know about Keaton Jones' story.

Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.

Who is Keaton Jones?

The video had been recorded in Kimberly Jones' car, reportedly after she picked her son up from school because he was worried about being abused at lunch. In the video, Keaton asked, "Just out of curiosity, why do they bully? What the point of it? Why do you find joy in taking innocent people, and finding a way to be mean to them? It's not OK."

While describing what the kids had done to him, he became increasingly emotional. He also said he doesn't want anyone else to be bullied, either. "People that are different don't need to be criticized about it. It's not their fault. But if you are made fun of, just don't let it bother you. Just stay strong, I guess." He concluded, "It's hard, but it'll probably get better one day."

Who Is Kimberly Jones?

On Tuesday, Dec. 12, Kimberly made a statement to People after receiving backlash online. She said, "The only two photos — the only two photos on my entire planet that I am anywhere near a Confederate flag. It was ironic," adding that she's not, in fact, racist. "I’ve said I spent most of my life being bullied and judged because I wasn’t racist."

In a separate interview with ABC News, she said, "I feel like anybody who wants to take the time to ask anybody who I am or even troll through some other pictures, I mean I feel like we’re not racist." She added: "It was meant to be ironic and funny… I am genuinely truly sorry. If I could take it back, I would."

Why has this video garnered so much celebrity attention?

There's no real science behind what causes one video to go viral over another, but this one in particular clearly struck a chord with people because there was an emotional entry point… unless you have no soul. Times like these make me realize that maybe people aren't as awful as I thought, which is most likely why big-time celebs couldn't help but use their platform for good. Sadly, Kim's Confederate flag snaps put a damper on the situation, and no (sane) person wants to be associated with that.

What happens now?

Well, considering Keaton has some dope movie premieres to attend — Um, Avengers here he comes! — kids at school are going to wish they were his friend. Now, we can only hope that his mother isn't as racist as she comes across and that she really was just being "funny," although we're still trying to find the humor in that one…