What do I do if someone is saying something hurtful about my friend?

Do you care about your friend?If you do stand up for him,tell the person in cause that he doesn't know your friend as you do,that he is just throwing with words right now and judging someone who has actually no idea how he really is,but remain polite at all time and handle the situation with respect,the person should understand if he doesn't feel as if you are trying to contradict him,be smart and play it smart,he will realize that he was mistaken.

It's a good idea to hear a person out and ask them where or why they feel it's important to voice a negative opinion. Then, after you hear them honestly, tell that person all the good things you know about your friend. We all have flaws. We all have bad days. We all make mistakes. The one bad thing a person might say about your friend probably does not outweigh all the good things you know and can be proud of sharing. So listen, respect and then shine a light on all the good.

Speaking from experience, if I were in your position, I would try my best to screenshot (if they bitch online), record the conversation on the phone or save as much evidence and record it on file without letting any one (including your friend) know. Stand up for your friend and keep a record of you standing up for them. The reason it is important to record such incidences is that, sometimes when you stand up for a friend who is not present, those people backbiting can turn the tables around and spread to your friend some lies to ruin your friendship. You really should stand up for your friend but make sure you do it properly

When someone hurts your friend your first action is to tell an adult or someone who could help for it.

You could tell them that you don't like what they are saying and if they could be nicer when talking about someone

I would love to say, "Stand up to them! Defend your friend!" And if you can do that, kudos to you! But the truth is that it's often hard to do so. So in that situation, I find the best thing to do can sometimes be to walk away. Get your friend as far away from the hurtful remarks as possible, both physically and emotionally. Avoid being somewhere where your friend is being talked about—it's easier for you. And make sure your friend knows that the hurtful remarks aren't true and that they're an amazing person.

I'm sure your friend would appreciate you standing up for them just as they would stick up for you!

If you feel the need to stand up for your friend, you can do that. If you feel like it's not your place to do that, you could let your friend know, or not hang out with the hurtful person.

Tell an adult, or someone who can do something about it. If it's at school, tell a trusted teacher or a counselor. I'd suggest talking to the friend first about it, and making sure that they have support :)

Tell them they have no right to be saying those things. I will always stick up for my friends no matter who is saying bad things.