Janet Jackson Faces Backlash After Questioning Kamala Harris’ Race, Fires Producer Who Apologized For Her

Janet Jackson questioned Vice President Kamala Harris‘ race during an interview on Saturday. After a man who claimed to be the pop star’s manager apologized on her behalf, her representatives said he did not hold such a title and was not authorized to speak for her.

Jackson spoke with The Guardian reporter Nosheen Iqbal to promote the European leg of her tour. Iqbal stated that the United States “could be on the verge of voting in its first black female president.” Jackson responded, “Well, you know what they supposedly say? She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.”

Iqbal pointed out that Harris is the daughter of an Indian woman and a Jamaican man. Jackson responded, “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.”

The pop icon’s comments shocked social media users, with The View co-host Ana Navarra saying Jackson had been “very irresponsible” in using the interview “carelessly to spread misinformation.” 

On Sunday, Mo Elmasri, who claimed to be Jackson’s manager, issued an apology for her comments. He said Jackson’s allegations were “based on misinformation” and told BuzzFeed that she “respects Harris’s dual heritage as both black and Indian and apologized for any confusion.”

Representatives for Jackson issued a statement to Variety immediately following Elmasri’s release, stating that he was not her manager or authorized spokesperson for the performer. 

According to Elmasri’s IMDb profile, he is connected to an upcoming Lifetime and A&E documentary series about Jackson and has previously been identified as her manager in statements. On Monday, this profile was stripped from the website, and Elmasri said in an email that he had been fired from Jackson’s team after the apology was issued.