Ole Miss Student Alaina Kunes Apologises After Viral Video Shows Alleged Racist Gestures Outside Black Students' Apartment

Alaina Kunes has apologised after a video showing alleged racist behaviour outside an apartment occupied by Black students at the University of Mississippi went viral, prompting widespread criticism and a university investigation.

In a statement, Kunes said she had apologised to the women affected, acknowledged the harm caused by her actions and pledged to cooperate with the university's investigation, according to PEOPLE and ABC News.

'I would have never intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of colour,' Kunes said, according to PEOPLE.

Viral Video Shows Racist Gestures

The incident was captured in a 13-second Ring doorbell camera recording shared on TikTok by Ole Miss student Jakiyra Metcalf on Friday, 6 November 2026, ABC News reported.

The footage shows three white women walking past an apartment before two of them approach the camera, beat their chests and make grunting and cooing noises resembling monkeys. The third woman does not appear to participate in the gestures.

The video had attracted more than 12.5 million views by early Tuesday afternoon, 10 November, according to ABC News.

PEOPLE, citing NBC affiliate WMC, identified Kunes as the first woman in the recording. The second woman also appears to participate in the gestures, while the third woman's identity has not been publicly established.

Metcalf later said she discovered that the women lived in the apartment above the one occupied by three Black students.

Kunes said she had never met the women before the incident and was unaware of their race. However, she acknowledged that her behaviour was inappropriate and harmful.

'I can never truly understand the pain I have caused them and it was never my intention,' she said, according to PEOPLE.

'These girls deserve to feel seen and understood and what I did is not a reflection of who I am trying to become,' she added.

Kunes Pledges to Cooperate With Investigation

Kunes also said she intended to cooperate fully with the university's investigation and requested privacy for her family.

'I understand the seriousness of this situation and remain committed to taking responsibility and learning from this embarrassing ordeal,' she said, according to ABC News.

The University of Mississippi confirmed to NBC affiliate WMC that Kunes was no longer enrolled. However, the university did not say whether her departure was connected to the controversy or explain the circumstances surrounding it.

University Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead confirmed the investigation in a statement on Monday, 9 November.

According to ABC News, Mead described the behaviour in the video as 'deeply troubling, hurtful, and unacceptable'.

She added that university staff had contacted the students directly affected to offer support, listen to their concerns and connect them with available resources.

Black Students Raise Safety Concerns

The incident also prompted concerns among Black students about racial harassment and personal safety on campus.

Kori Jeffries, an Ole Miss student who watched the footage, told local broadcaster WAPT that the incident made students feel unsafe, particularly when walking alone at night or staying inside their homes.

Kayla Amos, president of the university's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), also told WAPT that she had contacted Metcalf to offer support.

Meanwhile, the University of Mississippi's Alpha Phi sorority chapter denied social media claims linking its members to the women in the footage, stating that they had 'never been affiliated' with the organisation.

Kunes is the first of the two women who appear to participate in the gestures to publicly apologise. The identities of the other women have not been publicly established.