Seventeen-year-old actor Jack Veal, who is known for his roles in Marvel’s Loki, My Name Is Lenny, and The End of the F*ing World, recently opened up about his experiences with homelessness on social media. However, there seems to be a hopeful update.
Veal described a tough childhood filled with physical and emotional abuse at home. It was bad enough that he could no longer live there. Additionally, he has struggled with mental health issues, including autism and ADHD, and is awaiting a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and psychosis. After his grandfather became seriously ill, he couldn’t live with his grandparents anymore, which left him without a stable place to stay.
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At one point, Veal reported living in a damaged trailer located two hours away from his job and having trouble getting help from social services. To raise awareness about the difficulties vulnerable young people faced and criticize the lack of support he received, he shared his story on TikTok, which went viral. It’s one of those stories that makes you question why it’s hard for a minor to get help from the government.
After gaining attention online, Veal received a call from social services to schedule a meeting about foster care and housing support. This sounds like the service was strong-armed to do their jobs and take care of the minor. He expressed gratitude for the support he got from the online community, believing their efforts helped him get assistance.
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The positive outcome shows that public pressure can encourage social services to take action when they’re supposed to. However, there are still ongoing concerns about the issues within social care systems and the need for better support for vulnerable youth. It is unfortunate that not everyone can call the public to get what they are owed by the government.
There has been no update since Veal revealed he received a call, but the future is hopeful.