The Utah mom who went viral for straddling her son after a high school football game, appears to be embracing her internet fame.
"Oops… did it again," Amber Wright, 38, captioned a recent Instagram post. In the photo, Wright is shown at a Halloween party with her legs wrapped around a male friend dressed in an NFL costume.
"At least it wasn't your son this time," one person wrote in the comments.
Wright tells TODAY.com that she was "poking fun" at the backlash.
"I showed up as a referee, he happened to be a football player," she says. "He and I thought it would be funny to take that opportunity to make a joke out of what the initial reel blew up to be."
Wright found herself at the center of a debate in Sept. after she posted a video of herself giving her 16-year-old son, Brixton, a celebratory hug.
“I was so proud,” Wright told TODAY.com. “I was a proud mom hugging her kid.
“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,” she added.
"I wonder how many of his friends are allowed to stay over. My son wouldn’t be allowed for sleepovers at their house," one person wrote in the comments.
Added another, "I don’t think anyone has an issue with your son picking you up, just the (fact) that it appears your straddling your son. You’re also dressed pretty sexy for a high school football game."
Other responses included, "Ewww," "What, I thought this was his girlfriend‼️" and "THATS HIS MOTHERRRR?"
Wright told TODAY.com that the backlash has been upsetting for both her and Brixton.
"How abt you leave my mom alone," Brixton wrote on Instagram. "She’s never abused me done anything sexual with me or my friends or groomed me. She’s my mom she is my hero the vid of us hugging was a HUG. Go bother someone else and maybe hug your own kids. You all need Jesus damn."
“I come from a very affectionate family. I hug my dad every time I see him,” Wright 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."
Wright noted that Brixton might have held onto her a “little longer” after the game, as it was his first time wearing a jersey with his late dad’s death date. Brixton's father died on April 4.
“He was feeling emotional, and I think as his mom, I’m his safe space,” she explained.
Wright said she has received many private messages that are "supportive" and "kind." People are also sticking up for Wright on her Instagram.
"I’m a single mom of a boy. After going through breast cancer, I believe my son would do this to me too at a football game bc we are very close. My son and I are like best friends. Happy to see a strong mom and son connection!" one person wrote.
Added another, "I am a single mom and my son is an athlete who played football won state championship and now will be playing college football.. I see a mom a beautiful mom who loves her son and he is her everything!"