Student in viral Ole Miss racist video apologizes and leaves the university

>>> Alaina Kunes, 18, has identified herself as one of the three white women in the viral footage

A woman captured on a Ring doorbell making monkey noises and gestures outside a Black students' apartment at Ole Miss has come forward. Alaina Kunes, 18, said in a statement released by the law firm Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona that she is one of the three white women in the clip, recorded November 6 outside an off-campus apartment shared by three Black University of Mississippi students. A source close to Kunes told NBC News she has withdrawn from the university.

The footage shows the first of the three women pounding her chest and making monkey sounds as she walks past, a second leaping into the air while making the same noises, and a third walking by in silence. Kunes wrote that before the incident she had never met the women and did not know their race, but called her actions insensitive, inappropriate and deeply harmful. She said she would never have intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of color, and that she has apologized to them.

Tasha Bolton told Action 5 News the video belongs to her daughter, a Black freshman who shares the apartment with two Black roommates. The Bolton family is preparing to release its own statement. Shawnboda Mead, the university's Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, called the behavior deeply troubling, hurtful and unacceptable, confirmed an investigation is underway, and warned against spreading misinformation online, noting one student had been incorrectly identified as appearing in the video. The Independent has contacted the law firm and the university for comment.

Kunes said her family has faced death threats and harassment over the backlash, adding that she is grateful for authorities working to ensure their safety and intends to cooperate fully with the university's investigation. Her attorneys also pushed back on a link to Kunes Auto Group, saying her father, Scott Kunes, is a former COO of the company, which is owned by his father, Gregg, and that the 18-year-old has never worked for it or held any ownership stake. Kunes Auto Group told TMJ4 the person in the video has no employment, ownership or professional affiliation with the business, adding that the organization is built on treating every person with dignity and respect.

The spotlight has also landed on the family business. In August, Wisconsin woman Makayla Starks sued Kunes Buick GMC, which is tied to Kunes Auto Group, alleging a racist slur was printed on an oil change sticker, according to court records reviewed by The Wisconsin Law Journal, which reported the incident unfolded in January 2025. A Kunes Auto Group spokesperson said in February 2025 that the employee involved was terminated and that the company reached out to Starks to apologize.