Hugh Jackman has sent a powerful message to a young fan who is being bullied.
The ‘Logan’ star has reached out on social media to a nine-year-old boy named Quaden Bayles, who was born with dwarfism and has suffered bullying at school as a result of his condition.
Quaden gained attention online when his mother shared a video on Facebook of the youngster saying he “wants to die”, and Hugh reached out to let the boy know he “has a friend” in the actor.
In a video shared with Twitter, Hugh said: “You’re stronger than you know, mate, and no matter what you’ve got a friend in me. So, everyone, let’s please be kind to each other. Bullying is not okay, period.”
Hugh’s good deed comes after he previously said he wants his children – Oscar, 19, and Ava, 14 – to use their privileged upbringing to help others.
He said: “My kids have so many advantages. And I want them to know that they have a responsibility to use those advantages to help others. My kids are constantly reminded about how lucky we are in our family. We’re ridiculously blessed.
“We live in a beautiful home in places that other people dream of. But in terms of the world, we’re even more blessed. One out of six people doesn’t have clean drinking water. They can’t comprehend how we live.”
And the 51-year-old actor wants to set a good example for his children and make sure it feels “normal” to them to help others.
He added: “I want to lead my kids by example when it comes to charity. Their poverty is something we can fix; that’s something we can feel. You have to feel something to fix it. You can’t just talk about the world’s problems occasionally and think, ‘Oh, it would be good to help.’ To really change the world, you have to feel it.
“I was brought up with parents who both did volunteer work and community work. They gave back. After my father retired, he donated his services as an accountant to developing nations for three years. So it always felt normal for me to give back. I want it to feel normal for my kids. The more we can see the world as a whole, and the less as ‘your team, my team,’ the better we will be. I am ridiculously blessed. I don’t need any more money. I’m totally good. So if I can use whatever power I have now to share with others, that’s my hope. And I want my kids to be with me every step of the way.”
