Ole Miss Student Apologizes After Viral Video Shows Women Making Monkey Noises Outside Black Students’ Apartment

An 18-year-old University of Mississippi student has issued a public apology after a disturbing doorbell-camera video showing young women making monkey noises and gestures outside an apartment shared by Black students sparked nationwide outrage.

Alaina Kunes, a freshman at the university, released a statement on Tuesday, November 10, acknowledging that her actions were insensitive and harmful. The apology came after the footage spread rapidly across social media, attracting millions of views and calls for the university to take action.

The 13-second recording, captured by a Ring doorbell camera on November 6, shows three young women walking past the entrance of an off-campus apartment where three Black female students live.

Two of the women appear to approach the camera, beat their chests and make noises resembling monkey calls. The third woman walks behind them and briefly looks toward the door.

The video was shared online by Jakiyra Metcalf, one of the students living in the apartment. It quickly went viral, with viewers condemning what appeared to be a racially offensive taunt directed at the residents.

Student says she did not know who lived inside

In her public statement, Kunes apologized to the women affected and the wider Ole Miss community.

She said she had never met the residents before the incident and claimed she was unaware of their race. However, she acknowledged that this did not excuse her behavior.

Kunes said she would never intentionally make those noises or gestures toward a person of color and stated that she had personally apologized to the women.

She also acknowledged that she could not fully understand the hurt she had caused, adding that she hoped the women would eventually forgive her.

The student said she understood the seriousness of the situation and intended to cooperate fully with the university’s investigation.

Her statement also described the experience as an embarrassing ordeal and said she and her family had received threats and harassment following the video’s circulation. She asked for privacy while the matter continued to unfold.

University condemns the footage and investigates

The University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss, swiftly condemned the behavior shown in the recording.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead described the conduct as deeply troubling, hurtful and unacceptable. The university said it had contacted the students who were affected to offer support and connect them with available resources.

Officials also confirmed that the incident was being investigated through the university’s appropriate procedures.

The university later confirmed that Kunes was no longer a student, but did not publicly disclose the circumstances surrounding her departure or whether a specific disciplinary action had been imposed. Student disciplinary records are protected by federal privacy law.

The university also cautioned against spreading unverified information about the people involved. Online speculation had incorrectly linked members of the campus sorority community to the incident, prompting officials to clarify that the women were not affiliated with the sorority being discussed.

Outrage spreads beyond the university

The incident triggered a wider debate about racism and the experiences of Black students at the university.

Parents and students called for accountability, with some demanding that those involved face suspension or expulsion. Others said the footage had made Black students question whether they were welcome and safe in their own campus community.

The university’s Black Student Union also called for meaningful support for the affected students and stronger efforts to educate newcomers about respect and the university’s values.

The controversy has drawn renewed attention to Ole Miss’s complicated racial history, including the violent opposition to James Meredith’s enrollment as the university’s first Black student in 1962.

For the students who live behind the door captured in the footage, however, the issue is immediate and personal: their home should be a place where they feel safe and respected.

Kunes has apologized and says she intends to take responsibility for her actions. The university’s investigation and any further institutional response remain separate matters, while the students affected continue to deal with the fallout from a video that has reached millions of people.