Search icon

News

29th Oct 2021

Mum shares heartbreaking photo of son crying after being bullied for Tony Stark costume

Charlie Herbert

Boy bullied for Tony Stark outfit

His Tony Stark get up even included a fake goatee

A 10-year-old boy has received support from around the world after he was bullied for his Tony Stark Halloween costume.

His mum, Jill Struckman, had taken to Facebook to share pictures of her son’s Marvel-inspired outfit which he wore to school. The costume included a grey vest, glasses and a fake goatee – just like Iron Man’s alter ego.

However just 20 minutes after he left on the bus to school, she got a call from her son crying, saying that the other kids were saying he looked “stupid.”

He had worn the outfit for the school’s Halloween party and Jill noted that the children bullying him weren’t even dressed up for the party themselves.

She wrote on Facebook: “Got a call from Evan at school 20 minutes after he left on the bus. Apparently some kids on the bus (who weren’t even wearing costumes) told him he looked stupid.

“Evan got to school and immediately went to the bathroom and washed his face.

“When he called he was crying and soooo hurt that he didn’t even want to stay for his party.”

The post has racked up 281,000 reactions, as messages of support from across the world flooded in for the 10-year-old.

https://www.facebook.com/jill.struckman/posts/10226042022779707

Jill told Today that her son kept apologising for washing the makeup off.

“He was really thinking about how I would feel, which tells you a lot about him,” she said.

Don’t worry though – this story has a happy ending. After “going to Starbucks and talking through his feelings”, Evan went back to school in the costume and had a “great day.”

https://www.facebook.com/jill.struckman/posts/10226042197064064

“He was a little scared walking back into school,” Jill told Today, “but he had a great rest of the day. And he was so proud of himself.

“It was absolutely a defining moment in his life. If he hadn’t gone back, it would have broken his spirit.”

She added on Facebook that they have received supportive messages from people around the world, including Egypt, Mexico and the Philippines, saying her “mind is blown.”

Related links: