ELKHORN — A viral video showing White women making racist gestures outside the apartment of Black University of Mississippi students is drawing attention in Wisconsin after social media users claimed one of the women is related to the family behind Kunes Auto Group.
TMJ4 has not independently verified that family connection, and Kunes Auto Group did not confirm or deny it when asked.
A family member of one of the University of Mississippi students shared the video with TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins. The Ring doorbell video shows two white women making monkey gestures toward the camera outside an apartment belonging to Black students before walking away laughing.
The video has been viewed more than 12 million times online.
TMJ4 is blurring the women's faces because their identities have not been publicly released and no criminal charges have been filed.
As the video spread online, social media users began identifying one of the women and claiming she is related to the family behind Kunes Auto Group, a Wisconsin-founded auto dealership group with more than 40 locations across the Midwest.
TMJ4 has been working to independently verify that claim.
Kunes Auto Group has also faced racism-related complaints involving employees at two of its Wisconsin dealerships in recent years.
In February 2025, protests and calls for accountability followed after Makayla Starks said she discovered the "N-word" typed onto a service sticker by a technician at the Kunes Buick GMC dealership in Oak Creek. The employee involved was later fired.
Then, in April 2026, Carolyn Word said a salesman at the Kunes dealership in Elkhorn sent her text messages that included an image of a dancing ape wearing a bathing suit.
That salesman is no longer employed by the dealership. At the time, Kunes said his actions went against the company's values.
Now, the University of Mississippi says the incident captured in the viral video is under investigation.
TMJ4 reached out to Kunes Auto Group Monday about the social media claims connecting one of the women in the video to the Kunes family.
The company responded with a statement:
"The individual in the video has no employment, ownership, or professional affiliation with Kunes Auto Group. We do not comment on private citizens unaffiliated with the company. Our organization is built on treating every person with dignity and respect, and we do our best to live out those values every day."
TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins followed up with Kunes Auto Group because its statement addressed whether the woman has a professional connection to the company but did not answer whether she has a family connection to anyone associated with Kunes.
TMJ4 specifically asked the company to clarify whether the individual being identified on social media is related to anyone in the Kunes family.
Kunes Auto Group did not immediately respond to that follow-up question.
The University of Mississippi has said it is investigating the conduct shown in the video.
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