In a twist, an apology credited to Janet Jackson over the weekend — after saying that Vice President Kamala Harris is "not Black" in an interview with The Guardian — was not actually authorized by the singer at all.
According to an update from Variety issued on Sunday night:
The unauthorized “apology,” first reported by Buzzfeed and repeated by multiple major outlets, was made by a man named Mo Elmasri who — apparently inaccurately — claimed to be the singer’s manager. It reads: “Janet Jackson would like to clarify her recent comments. She recognizes that her statements regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity were based on misinformation. Janet respects Harris’ dual heritage as both Black and Indian and apologizes for any confusion caused. She values the diversity Harris represents and understands the importance of celebrating that in today’s society. Janet remains committed to promoting unity and understanding.”
In an interview published by The Guardian on Saturday, Jackson balked at a question about the possibility of a Black woman being president.
"[Harris is] not Black," Jackson said. “That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian. 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 the daughter of Jamaican-American professor Donald Harris, who is Black, and Indian-American scientist Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
The now-discredited statement made by Elmsari, who is not the singer’s manager, said Jackson's response was "based on misinformation."
"She deeply respects Vice President Kamala Harris and her accomplishments as a Black and Indian woman," she added. "Janet apologizes for any confusion caused and acknowledges the importance of accurate representation in public discourse."
It's not the first time that Harris' ethnicity has been questioned this election season. Donald Trump falsely accused the vice president of "turn[ing] Black" at some point in the last few years.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black," he said at a Black journalists conference in July. "So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”
