Nationwide — On Saturday, a person supposedly speaking on Janet Jackson’s behalf issued an apology for her stating during a recent interview with The Guardian that she didn’t believe that Vice President Kamala Harris was Black. Now, however, People is reporting that that person, Mo Elmasri, was falsely claiming to be Janet’s manager. Janet’s rep has clarified that Elmasri has no connection at all to Janet or her team and that Randy Jackson is her actual manager.Elmasri’s unauthorized statement claimed Janet was apologizing for comments about Harris, suggesting they were based on “misinformation.” However, Janet’s representative reiterated that this apology was not valid since Elmasri has no authority to speak on her behalf.
During her interview with The Guardian, Janet inaccurately claimed that Harris, 59, isn’t Black, echoing a conspiracy theory. When the reporter mentioned that Harris could become the first Black female president, Janet responded, “Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.” The singer further claimed, “Her father’s White. That’s what I was told. I haven’t watched the news in a few days.”
Janet expressed uncertainty about whether America is ready for a woman of color to be president, adding, “I don’t know. I think either way it goes, it’s going to be mayhem.”
Vice President Kamala Harris was born to Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, who was raised in India, and Donald J. Harris, a Jamaican immigrant who studied economics in the U.S. In the past, former President Donald Trump also made false claims about Harris’ race, saying she “became a Black person” after previously promoting her Indian heritage.