But when the child posted another video where her father, Gene Leonhardt, furiously defended his crying daughter, it was the turning point that transformed Jessi into a meme and her life into a living hell.
Six years after the internet began bullying Jessi – who is now going by the name Damien – says the video changed their life. Damien was ceaselessly harassed and shortly after the video went viral, Damien was placed in foster care when their father punched them and their mother.
Damien is still active online; they're active on the blogging website Tumblr where they feel they have finally found a positive community. They say they now are able to speak to the community and give advice about handling harassment and bullying. “I want to use my experiences to help other people, and also to help myself grow as a person and to get more involved with things that can help other people. Watch this video of Jessi with her father defending her from cyber bullies:
Nowadays, people are a lot more understanding that, yes, there’s a person behind that photo, there’s a person behind that video. It’s not just a funny picture that has no meaning when you share things. It has a meaning to the person who put it there,” Damien said.
Source: Daily Mail
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