Janet Jackson’s team has refuted claims that she apologized for stating Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is “not Black.”
A spokesperson for the “All For You” singer stated on Sunday evening that a previous statement circulated by Mo Elmasri, who presented himself as Jackson’s manager, was not legitimate.
The spokesperson clarified to the publication that Elmasri does not manage the singer and has no official ties to her. Randy Jackson is her actual manager.
In the disavowed statement, Elmasri alleged that Janet was retracting her comments about Harris’s racial identity, which he claimed were “based on misinformation.”
The “Feedback” hitmaker, aged 58, faced backlash after she questioned Harris’s racial background in an interview with the Guardian that was published on Saturday.
During the interview, when prompted about her views on Americans voting for the first Black female presidential nominee, Janet referred to Harris, saying, “She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.”
She added, “Her father’s white. That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days. I was told that they discovered her father was white.”
Harris is actually the daughter of immigrants, her father from Jamaica and her mother from India.
Asked whether the U.S. was prepared to elect Harris, 59, as president over the Republican contender and former president Donald Trump, Janet expressed uncertainty.
“I don’t know,” the acclaimed five-time Grammy winner stated. “Honestly, I don’t want to answer that because I really, truthfully, don’t know. I think either way it goes, it’s going to be mayhem.”
Janet, also known for her track “Nasty,” was quickly criticized on social media for her remarks.
One critic on X, formerly Twitter, accused her of being “irrelevant and leeching off her brothers’ success,” referencing her late brother Michael Jackson.
Another long-time fan expressed disappointment, stating, “I have always been a fan of Janet Jackson, but this is just no. Stop.”
Many recalled Michael Jackson’s skin tone change in the early 1990s, which he attributed to vitiligo, as noted by the Mayo Clinic, a condition that causes loss of skin color.
Another commenter admonished Janet, saying, “You know better than to believe that nonsense… especially after all the race controversies Michael went through.”
