The mother of the child model at the centre of the H&M race row has branded the public backlash as ‘unnecessary issue’.
Terry Mango, of Stockholm, Sweden, broke her silence on Facebook, where she told critics of the brand to ‘get over it’ and to ‘stop crying wolf’.
High street giant H&M has drawn widespread criticism over the advert, which shows Ms Mango’s son wearing a green hooded top emblazoned with the phrase ‘Coolest Monkey in the Jungle’.
The brand removed the image and issued an apology amid worldwide criticism and calls for a boycott of the retailer.
Controversial: H&M has come under fire this week over an advert featuring a black child model wearing a jumper emblazoned with ‘Coolest Monkey in the Jungle’
Speaking out: Terry Mango, mother of the child model, has branded the uproar ‘unnecessary’
She commented in a Facebook post (pictured) that has been widely circulated on social media
The story has made headlines around the world, with celebrities, activists and members of the public accusing the Swedish-based brand of racism over the image.
Musicians the Weeknd and G-Eazy both cut ties with the brand in the wake of the uproar while some shoppers called for a complete boycott.
However Ms Mango has blasted the response, urging critics to ‘stop crying wolf all the time’. She also explained she had been at the shoot when the photo was taken.
In a Facebook post that has been widely circulated on social media, Ms Mango wrote: ‘Am the mum and this is one of hundreds of outfits my son has modelled… stop crying wolf all the time, unnecessary issue here… get over it.’
Hands-on: Terry, above with her son, said she had been at the shoot when the photo was taken
In response to a Facebook user who questioned her stance, Ms Mango added that it was ‘not her way of thinking’.
The offending image was removed from H&M’s US and UK websites shortly after news of the outrage broke.
A spokesperson for H&M told MailOnline: ‘This image has now been removed from all H&M channels and we apologise to anyone this may have offended.’
Public outcry: The Weeknd, LeBron James and P Diddy all criticised the advert on social media
The brand also took to Instagram to express further apology, it said: ‘We understand that many people are upset about the image of the children’s hoodie. We, who work at H&M, can only agree.
‘We’re deeply sorry that the picture was taken and we also regret the actual print.
‘Therefore, we’ve not only removed the image from our channels but also the garment from our product offering.’
Chris Classic, an artist from New York is thought to have started the creative protest against H&M