Mom Shared Heartbreaking Story About Bullied Son & Paul Rudd Stepped in to Save the Day
Paul Rudd is officially a real-life Marvel superhero. The actor swooped in after Cassandra Ridder, the mother of a rising seventh grader named Brody, shared that her son couldn’t get people to sign his yearbook. The middle schooler had already been struggling with being alienated at school, where he sat by himself at lunch and didn’t have anyone to play with at recess.
“My poor son. Doesn’t seem like things are getting any better,” Ridder wrote on the school’s Facebook page for parents, per TODAY. “2 teachers and a total of 2 students wrote in his yearbook. Despite Brody asking all kinds of kids to sign it. So Brody took it upon himself to write to himself. My heart is shattered. Teach your kids kindness.” This awful, disappointing story caught the attention of Rudd, who reached out to offer his support. The Ant-Man star FaceTimed with Brody and wrote him a sweet letter.
“It was great talking to you the other day. It’s important to remember that even when life is tough that things get better,” Rudd wrote in a handwritten note. “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.” Ridder told TODAY that Rudd also included a signed Ant-Man helmet that read: “For my good friend Brody when he takes over the world.”
Rudd wasn’t the only one who came out to support Brody. After Ridder posted on Facebook, Brody started receiving an outpouring of messages from kids in other grades of his school. “Brody — you are the kindest little kid,” one message read. “You are so loved. Don’t listen to the kids that tell you different.”
Now, Brody is actually looking forward to the new school year. “He used to dread the end of summer vacation. He’d try to fake sick on the first day,” Ridder said. “But Brody is like a new person because of this outpouring of love and support. It’s been overwhelming — in the best way.”
These celebrity fathers are all proud to be “girl dads.”