Brody Ridder Is Moving on from Being Bullied and Is Making New Friends

By: Jingwei Zhao

Brody Ridder, a 12-year-old boy who goes to the Academy of Charter Schools in Westminster, has been bullied for the past school year. At the end of his last school year, he only received four yearbook signatures. Two were students at the school and the other two were teachers. He wrote a note to himself in his yearbook, saying "hope you make some more friends." This was the breaking point for Brody’s mother Cassandra as she hated to see her son get bullied. The note he wrote to himself reflected the past months in which he had been mistreated.

Paul Rudd, an actor well-known for his performance as Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series, noticed Ridder’s situation. He wrote a letter to him saying that “It's important to remember that even when life gets tough that things get better. There are so many people that love you and think you are the coolest kid there is — me being one of them!" Rudd also sent Ridder an Ant-Man helmet which read “To my good friend Brody for when he takes on the world!”

Others have also taken notice of what Ridder has been going through. They would send letters to him that showed support for him. Brody’s mother is talking with non-profit organizations that reduce bullying to spread the message of kindness and empathy as much as possible. When Ridder returned to school, he was greeted by a huge group of students who signed his yearbook. He took a picture with another group as well. According to his mother, "He (Brody) is so excited. He feels hopeful for next year. He's excited to try to put himself out there to make more friends."