Mother of Keaton Jones says Confederate flag photos were supposed to be 'ironic and funny'

Updated
Mother of Keaton Jones says Confederate flag photos were supposed to be 'ironic and funny'

The mother of Keaton Jones is addressing backlash on social media after controversial photos emerged of her and her son posing with Confederate flags.

Keaton, a middle schooler from Tennessee, gained national headlines over the weekend after his mother posted a heart-wrenching video of him describing the relentless bullying he experiences in school. The video instantly went viral.

Now, the moving video that made the 11-year-old famous is focusing scrutiny on his mother, Kimberly Jones, after controversial Facebook photos sparked allegations that Jones was racist.

"I feel like anybody who wants to take the time to ask anybody who I am or even troll through some other pictures, I mean, I feel like we’re not racist," Jones said of the photos to ABC News. "I mean, people that know us, know that."

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"It was meant to be ironic and funny and extreme. I am genuinely, truly sorry. If I could take it back, I would," Jones continued.

RELATED: Jones' mom faces backlash over Confederate flag photos

"If they want to hate me and whatever that’s fine, but still talk to your kids,” Jones added. "Because [bullying] is an epidemic."

She also said that the two photos seen circulating on social media were "the only two photos on my entire planet that I am anywhere near a Confederate flag" in an interview with CBS News.

When asked if the photos had anything to do with racist intent, Jones replied: "No. No. Absolutely not. I've said I spent most of my life being bullied and judged because I wasn't racist."

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