A mother has hit back after she was slammed on the internet for “straddling” her son “inappropriately” after a video of her hugging the teen at his high school football game went viral.
Amber Wright, from Utah, gushed about her 16-year-old son, Brixton, as she shared a clip of them celebrating after a football game on her Instagram.
In the video, which has now been viewed more than 9 million times, the single mum can be seen clinging tightly to her son’s neck as she lifted her legs up and put them around him while he embraced her.
She captioned the post: “This boy will forever and always have my entire heart…When I walked up to hug my baby boy after his game, he immediately picked me up and just held me. It may have been 20 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, I have no idea. But in this moment, time stood completely still.”
Amber’s video left the internet divided. In the comment section of her video, viewers accused the 38-year-old mother of acting like a “thirsty girlfriend”.
One person commented: “It would’ve been cute if it was his girlfriend, but not a mother”.
Another person wrote: “Literally thought this was his girlfriend tf”.
A third agreed, adding: “This is thirsty girlfriend behaviour. Please chill.”
Others said it wasn’t the hug itself that they had an issue with, but the way her feet lifted off the ground.
A fellow single mum wrote: “I’m a single mum and very close to my sons. I hug them in public without hesitation – but straddling them in high heels would cross a line neither of us would be comfortable with. To each their own, but this appears to be an unusual relationship.”
Another commenter added: “Nothing wrong with the hug but the feet should’ve never left the ground Mama”.
Some also slammed the mum’s clothing choices, with one person writing: “I don’t think anyone has an issue with your son picking you up, just that it appears you’re straddling your son. You’re also dressed pretty sexy for a high school football game.”
The mum was also bashed for other sexy photos she had posted on her social media.
“Imagine being a mother and your feed is half your son and half you stripping,” one person wrote.
She was accused of “desperately seeking attention” and not “acting like a mum” as people told her to “keep the sexy pics private”.
Amber’s son had to take to the comments to defend his mum, explaining he was the one who picked her up.
He said: “Some of you need Jesus. She’s my mum I did pick her up she didn’t jump on me it was a hug get the f*** Over it fr.”
Hitting back at people criticising the moment, Amber told Today: “I was so proud. I was a proud mum hugging her kid”.
She claimed some trolls had taken the hate so far they’d even accused her of “sexually abusing” and “grooming” her son and threatened to call child protective services. But Amber explained Brixton might have held onto her for a “little longer” than usual after the game as it was the first time he’d worn a jersey with the dad of his late dad’s death.
Brixton’s father took his own life in 2021 after struggling with alcoholism and Amber said the game had been an “emotional” one for her son.
She explained: “He was feeling emotional, and I think as his mum, I’m his safe space.”
Amber also shared screenshots of her son’s private chat responding to the hate. In the caption, she added that his response moved her to tears.
Watch the video that sparked outrage below.
