The mother of Keaton Jones, a middle-schooler whose experiences with bullying prompted an outpouring of international support, is defending herself amid backlash.
READ MORE: Tennessee boy’s tearful video about bullying goes viral, prompts outpouring of support
Kimberly Jones recently posted a video on Facebook, showing a sobbing Keaton explaining that he’s afraid to eat lunch because bullies pour milk on him, and call him ugly. The heart-wrenching video led to several celebrities reaching out to the Tennessee family, and a GoFundMe campaign geared toward raising college tuition for the child.
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But support for the family turned into anger after it emerged that the mother had posted photos of herself with the Confederate flag on Facebook. The photos dated back to the Charlottesville white supremacist rally and resulting protests, which left one woman dead.
Many people have also accused Jones, who has since made her Facebook profile private, of cashing in on her son’s emotional anti-bullying story.
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In an interview with CBS News following the backlash, 11-year-old Keaton explained that the video was his idea.
“I had enough of it. They had said that someone was going to beat me up in lunch so I texted my mom and I said, ‘What do I do here?'” Keaton said.
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During the CBS News interview, Jones also defended her Confederate flag photos:
“The only two photos — the only two photos on my entire planet that I am anywhere near a Confederate flag. It was ironic. It was funny.”
She added that there was “absolutely not” any racist intent associated with the photos.
In an interview with ABC News, Jones also addressed claims that the GoFundMe campaign was a ploy to get money. She cautioned, however, that there may be several other crowdfunding campaigns in her son’s name that aren’t associated with the family.
WATCH: Justin Bieber, Hailee Steinfeld, other celebrities reach out to Tennessee boy after bullying video goes viral
The GoFundMe page for Keaton, started by a man named Joseph Lam, was paused amid criticism of the mother. It has so far raised more than US$56,000.
However, Lam urged those donating to the campaign to separate Keaton’s experiences from his mother.
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“THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE MOM!!” he wrote. “To me thats a kid with a heart of gold and deserves praise. Im hoping that we can turn the money into something good whether it be for private school or college fund.”
Lam added that he’s currently in talks with GoFundMe, evaluating what should be done about the campaign and its funds.
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