Actor Paul Rudd sent a heartwarming message of encouragement to a 12-year-old boy saying "things get better" after the boy was bullied at school and then humiliated by classmates when they refused to sign his yearbook.
Brody Ridder told KDVR that he had already endured a long, tough year of bullying and was devastated when his yearbook was left nearly blank of signatures and well-wishes after finishing his sixth-grade year at The Academy of Charter Schools in Westminster, Colorado, in May.
Photos posted to Facebook by his mother, Cassandra Ridder, show Brody's yearbook pages with just a handful of signatures as well as a note from a teacher and from Brody to himself: "Hope you make some more friends — Brody Ridder."
The post soon went viral and caught the attention of "Antman" star Paul Rudd, who reached out to Brody personally over Facetime, according to a Facebook post from Cassandra.
Days later, Rudd sent Brody an autographed Ant-Man helmet as well as a note of encouragement. Cassandra posted photos of both on Facebook.
"It was great talking to you the other day. It’s important to remember that even when life is tough that things get better. There are so many people that love you and think you’re the coolest kid there is — me being one of them! I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’re going to accomplish," he wrote, signing as "Your pal, Paul."
Since then, Brody has received widespread support from his school and community, with local high schoolers rounding up as many students as possible to fill his yearbook with signatures and notes.
"I was overwhelmed with how much love and encouragement I received for Brody. It was amazing," Cassandra told KDVR. "It made me feel like there’s hope for the school, there’s hope for humanity and there’s a lot of good kids in this world."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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