What Janet Jackson Did—and Didn’t—Say About Kamala Harris’ Race

By Koh Ewe
September 23, 2024 5:30 AM EDT

“She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian,” 58-year-old singer and actress Janet Jackson, sister of the late global superstar Michael Jackson, recently said of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, repeating the untrue assertion that the Vice President has misrepresented her race/ethnicity. “Her father’s white. That’s what I was told,” Jackson said in an interview with the Guardian that was published on Saturday.

“I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days,” she added. 

Harris has long publicly identified as both Black and Indian American, and, throughout her political career, claims to the contrary have been repeatedly fact-checked as false. Her father, Donald Harris, is an economist and Stanford professor from Jamaica, while her mother Shyamala Gopalan, who died in 2009, was a biomedical scientist from India. 

Jackson’s latest comments, however, echo misinformation promoted by Harris’ Republican rival Donald Trump, who in July told the National Association of Black Journalists that Harris “happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black.” The former President repeated his claim during the recent debate, saying, “I read that she was Black. Then I read that she was not Black.”

The Guardian’s interview with Jackson elicited a firestorm of reactions online, where social media posts lambasting and mocking the singer have racked up millions of views.

“This whole Janet Jackson thing just goes to show you how out of touch some celebrities are. I’ve always loved her but repeating lies!? Smh. If you don’t know about a subject, then don’t speak on it… especially with your platform,” read one post on X. Comedian D.L. Hughley posted that Jackson’s interview “sounded like a #Trump rally,” and a fan account for celebrities including Jackson called her remarks “simply irresponsible.”

Others, meanwhile, have defended Jackson over her doubts about Harris’ race. “As a 90s baby, I refuse to let y’all tarnish Janet Jackson for speaking her mind,” posted Royce White, a former professional basketball player and a Republican Senate nominee in Minnesota, who added: “Y’all can take my Black card too.”

Then the saga took an even stranger turn.

Mo Elmasri, a person who claimed to be Jackson’s manager and whose IMDB page lists him as a producer for Jackson’s documentary, said Sunday in a statement cited by multiple media outlets including Buzzfeed—which first reported it—that Jackson “recognizes” her remarks on Harris’ race were “based on misinformation” and that she “apologizes for any confusion caused.” The statement added: “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.”

But later Sunday, representatives for the singer refuted Elmasri’s statement, saying that he was not authorized to speak on her behalf.

Elmasri told Variety in a separate statement that he “was fired by Janet and Randy [Jackson], after attempts to improve her image in front of public opinion and her fans,” adding that this was “something I do not deserve.” Variety reported, citing sources close to Jackson’s team, that Elmasri was not believed to be directly associated with the singer. (USA Today reported that Elmasri had never worked on Jackson’s team.) Jackson has been managed by her brother Randy for years, and the siblings, according to Variety, are unavailable for comment as they are mourning the recent death of their brother Tito.  

In her decadeslong entertainment career, Jackson has been a vocal champion for social justice and has used her public platform and music to advocate for LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

When the Guardian reporter pushed back on Jackson’s claim that Harris isn’t Black and asked her if she thought the U.S. was ready for Harris, a woman of color, to be President, Jackson reportedly replied: “Honestly, I don’t want to answer that because I really, truthfully, don’t know. I think either way it goes is going to be mayhem.”