Nine-Year-Old Bullying Victim Quaden Bayles Is Suing Miranda Devine For Defamation
Bayles went viral earlier this year after a video of him sobbing was posted online.
Quaden Bayles, the young boy who went viral earlier this year after his mother posted a video of him reacting to an incident of bullying, is suing Miranda Devine for defamation, The Guardian reports.
Bayles, who has dwarfism, has been a target for bullies for many years. But the aftermath of the incident his mother caught on camera had a particularly deep impact on the nine-year-old – through his tears, Quaden expressed suicidal thoughts.
Quickly, the video attracted mainstream attention, with Australians from around the country sending Quaden messages of support. Within a matter of days, Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, had filmed a video message of support for the boy.
“You are stronger than you know, mate,” Jackman said.
Quaden – you’ve got a friend in me. #BeKind @LokelaniHiga https://t.co/8dr3j2z8Sy pic.twitter.com/jyqtZYC953
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) February 20, 2020
But amidst the messages of support, some began suggesting that Quaden Bayles had faked his upset in exchange for viral fame and attention. When one Twitter user called Bayles an “actor”, conservative commentator Miranda Devine retweeted the message, and added one of her own.
“That’s really rotten if this was a scam. Hurts genuine bullying victims.” Devine wrote.
Now, Bayles is suing both Devine and News Corp for defamation over the Tweet.
Neither Devine nor News Corp have released a statement at the time of writing this article.