- Footage showed the 38-year-old woman being held in the air by her 16-year-old son.
- The woman has since defended her actions and called her hug “affectionate.”
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A mother has hit back at critics after appearing in a viral video hugging her son in an “affectionate” manner.
Amber Wright, 38, posted a video to her Instagram account in August that showed her celebrating her 16-year-old son’s high school football victory in Utah.
What was meant to be a message of emotional support turned into a viral debate as many questioned the manner in which she kissed the teenager.
In the video, Wright can be seen jumping into the arms of her son Brixton, who is holding her in the air, before returning to the ground.
For the caption, Wright wrote: “This boy will always and always have my whole heart. Gina captured the end of this moment and I am SO grateful to her.
Amber Wright (left) slammed critics after going viral for a loving hug with her son
Wright was arrested and detained by Brixton, 16, in a video she shared online
“When I walked over to hug my little boy after his game, he immediately picked me up and just held me. It might have lasted 20 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, I have no idea. But in that moment, time stopped completely.
Despite the innocent intentions behind the celebration, many users online were quick to suggest that Wright had acted “inappropriately” with the teen.
One comment on the post read: “I literally thought she was his girlfriend,” while another said: “This guy’s future wife has no chance.”
In response to the comments, Wright explained to Today: ‘I was a proud mother hugging her child. I didn’t expect it to turn into something where people are like, “You’re sexually abusing him!” You groom him! I’m calling child protective services.
She continued: “I come from a very loving family. I hug my dad every time I see him. What you saw on the football field is exactly who we are. Brix will pick me up and hold me, then put me down.
In an Instagram post four weeks ago, Wright shared screenshots her son sent defending his mother’s actions and revealed it was an emotional match for the family.
Wright insists she has been her son’s biggest supporter and regularly posts during his matches.
Wright also shared a moving message from her son revealing why marriage was so important to the whole family.
Brixton’s message read: “My mother is my hero. I was just giving her a hug after the game and I picked her up, she didn’t jump on me. My mother has been the only person there for me my whole life.
“I grew up with an alcoholic father who came and went whenever he wanted, he was great when he was sober, but he wasn’t, he was so dark and different. He’s never really shown up to any of my games or anything like that, my moms have been to every single one since I’ve been playing them.
“My father committed suicide last year and this year I changed my number to 44 BC, that was the date of his death (4/4/21). It was the first time she saw me wear it in person, so obviously she was very emotional and so was I. It was all just a big hug from me to her.
The 16-year-old posted several comments defending his mother’s actions over the past few weeks, before his mother verbally addressed the incident.
