Janet Jackson reportedly apologized for comments she made in an interview published Saturday in which the singer questioned whether Vice President Kamala Harris was black, saying her controversial remarks were “based on misinformation,” according to a statement to Buzzfeed.
In The Guardian When Jackson was asked in an interview about the prospect of having the first black president in office after Election Day, he said of Harris: “You know what they supposedly said? She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Native American.”
Jackson added: “Her father is white. That’s what I’m told, at least. I mean, I haven’t seen the news in a couple of days. I’m told they found out her father is white.” (Harris’ father, Donald J. Harris, is black, was born in Browns Town, Jamaica, and grew up in Jamaica.)
The singer’s comments – Jackson also predicted “chaos” after Election Day, regardless of the winner – sparked an immediate uproar on social media, with fans wondering who “they” were who told Jackson false information and what uninformed opinion the singer had of the candidate.
In a statement to Buzzfeed on Sunday, Mo Elmasri, who was identified in the article as Jackson’s manager, said the singer Guardian Comments – which are “based on misinformation” – and added that Jackson now acknowledges that Harris is of black and Indian descent. (Janet Jackson’s manager is her brother Randy Jackson, representatives confirmed to the newspaper) Rolling Stonewho added that Elmasri was not authorized to make a statement on Janet Jackson’s behalf or to speak on her behalf.)
“(Jackson) has great respect for Vice President Kamala Harris and her accomplishments as a Black and Indian woman,” Elmasri’s statement said. “Janet apologizes for any confusion this has caused and recognizes the importance of accurate representation in public discourse.”
Elmasri added: “We welcome the opportunity to address this issue and will continue to work to promote unity.”
This post was updated on September 22 at 6:52 p.m. ET to clarify that Janet Jackson’s manager is Randy Jackson and not Mo Elmasri.
