Kelly Clarkson on Bullying: ‘We Need to Raise the Bar on Human Decency’
Kelly Clarkson is speaking out with an important reminder after a video of Keaton Jones — a bullied boy from Knoxville, Tenn. — went viral.
"Keaton, I don’t know one person that wasn’t bullied growing up and sadly I don’t know many that aren’t bullied still as adults," Clarkson shares on Twitter. "Bullying has become a part of our culture. As a society we have failed you and those kids bullying you."
"We need to raise the bar with human decency at the very least," she adds.
Keaton Jones Has a Few New Bodyguards in His Corner
Clarkson is far from the first artist to speak out against bullying. Dozens of entertainers stepped up to support Jones, including country singers Kelleigh Bannen, Brothers Osborne, Jerrod Niemann, David Nail, Ryan Hurd, Cassadee Pope, Jimmy Wayne, Walker McGuire and Colt Ford. Kelsea Ballerini and Kacey Musgraves even offered to visit Jones at his middle school lunch table, while Cole Swindell invited Jones and his sister to stop by his bus when he rolls through Knoxville next.
The video went viral because it tugged at the heartstrings — in it, Jones cried to the camera and pleaded with his bullies, saying: "People that are different don't need to be criticized about it."
Clarkson has been a victim of public bullying over her weight more than once in recent years, and she has taken those bullies to task. Most recently, in July, a Twitter user called her fat, to which she responded: "... and still f--king awesome."