Relationships3 min(s) read
Published 10:28 06 May 2026 GMT
A teenager has spoken out after his mother was heavily criticized over the way she hugged him following one of his football games.
Back in August 2023, Amber Wright, a mom from Utah, took to her Instagram to share footage of herself and her then-16-year-old son, Brixton, embracing after the game.
The emotional clip shows her wrapping her legs around her son and being lifted off the ground.
In the caption of the video, which has been viewed a staggering 10.9 million times, the affectionate mom opened up about her love for her son and how much the moment meant to her.
"This boy will forever and always have my entire heart. Gina captured the end of this moment, and I’m SO grateful," she said. "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.
"I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve you @brix_wright, but I am thankful every second of every single day for you," she added.
Despite many viewers seeing the clip as a sweet family moment, others flooded the comments section with criticism.
"Moms don’t act like that," one user slammed, while another claimed: "You are sick and blind! His teammates look sickened by your actions!"
A third shared: "Nope. Boundaries. She doesn't know them. Sad actually." A fourth blasted: "Fatherless and husbandless behavior if she had a husband he’d never allow her to act like that in public."
Speaking to Today, Wright said she was shocked by the reaction the video received. "I was so proud, I was a proud mom hugging her kid," she said.
"I never expected it to turn into something where people are like, 'You're sexually abusing him! You're grooming him! I’m calling child protective services.'"
Brixton has since shared a response to the backlash, making it clear he saw nothing wrong with the hug he shared with his mother.
"How about you leave my mom alone. She’s never abused me, done anything sexual with me or my friends, or groomed me," he wrote under one of his mother's Instagram posts.
"She’s my mom; she is my hero. The video of us hugging was a HUG. Go bother someone else and maybe hug your own kids. You all need Jesus damn," he added.
Wright explained that physical affection has always been normal in their family.
"I come from a very affectionate family. I hug my dad every time I see him,” she said. "What you saw on the football field is just how we are. Brix will pick me up and squeeze me and then put me back down."
She noted that her son, who is now 18, might have held onto her a "little longer" after the game, as it was his first time sporting a jersey with his late dad’s death date.
"He was feeling emotional, and I think as his mom, I’m his safe space," she concluded.
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