From Cyber-Bullied To Celebrated! LA Holds A Big Party For The Dancing Man
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — He's gone from cyber-bullied to celebrated in a very short time.
The Dancing Man was in Los Angeles Saturday to be celebrated as the guest of honor at a huge dance party.
In March, Sean O'Brien was mocked on social media by some kids making fun of the large man's dance moves.Pictures of him happily dancing gave way to photos of him looking upset and downtrodden after being body-shamed. Those photos went viral.
Two Echo Park women found O'Brien on line via Twitter and said they wanted to throw a dance party for him.
The women had no idea their kind gesture would turn into a huge event. They also raised more than $70,000 to go to anti-bullying programs.
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Tonight, KCAL9's Laurie Perez reported from the party (held at the Avalon in Hollywood) and spoke to O'Brien before his unforgettable night.
An hour before the party was even set to begin, celebrity guests like Tatiana Ali, Monica Lewinsky and Moby -- who was expected to perform -- were seen lining up to get in.
Perez said everything -- the building, the vendors, the music, O'Brien's plane fare and hotel -- was all being donated.
O'Brien told Perez he was overwhelmed by the support and told her he hoped that anyone who has ever been bullied could feel the type of love he has these past few weeks -- he's even become something of a celebrity in London where people ask for his autograph.
"Focus on the good people," he said, "there are far more good people than bad people out there. You have to be comfortable with yourself. What you are, is what you are. And we just have to make the most of what we are."
He added, "Be confident in yourself."
The party organizers want to keep the anti-bullying conversation going long after the party ends.
They told Perez they're selling t-shirts that say "I Am Dancing Man" -- and 50 percent of the profits of these shirts would go to anti-bullying campaigns and organizations both here in the US and in London.
Sunday, organizers of the event will post new pictures of O'Brien dancing -- at their event. They will be sending the message to those who mocked him.
"If I knew who they were I would just invite them to come and dance because I think the kind of people who are doing these things are probably in a lot of pain themselves. Happy people don't do that," Cassandra Fairbanks, one of the organizers said.
The celebration for, and about, O'Brien continued Sunday, when he threw out the first pitch at the Dodgers - Padres game at Dodgers Stadium -- and he has never thrown a baseball in his life.
