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Bullied kid’s mom responds to backlash after viral video, says she’s not racist

Click to play video: 'Mother of bullied Tennessee boy addresses photos of family holding Confederate flags'
Mother of bullied Tennessee boy addresses photos of family holding Confederate flags
WATCH ABOVE: Mother of bullied Tennessee boy addresses photos of family holding Confederate flags – Dec 12, 2017

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.

WATCH ABOVE: Keaton Jones questioned why people bully and talked about his own bullying experience in a video posted Friday

Click to play video: 'Outpouring of support for young bullied boy'
Outpouring of support for young bullied boy

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.

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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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READ MORE: Should parents be punished for their kids’ bad behaviour?

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.

WATCH: Young boy at the centre of Tennessee bullying video speaks out

Click to play video: 'Young boy at the centre of Tennessee bullying video speaks out'
Young boy at the centre of Tennessee bullying video speaks out

During the CBS News interview, Jones also defended her Confederate flag photos:

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“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

Click to play video: 'Justin Bieber, Hailee Steinfeld, among celebrities reaching out to Tennessee boy after bullying video goes viral'
Justin Bieber, Hailee Steinfeld, among celebrities reaching 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.

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However, Lam urged those donating to the campaign to separate Keaton’s experiences from his mother.

COMMENTARY: Boy asking simple questions about bullying goes viral

“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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