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Amid backlash over her comments about Vice President Kamala Harris, Janet Jackson's team said an apology issued on her behalf wasn't authorized.
The backlash stemmed from Jackson's interview with The Guardian, which was published on Saturday (September 21). Jackson questioned Harris' Blackness when asked about the possibility of the U.S. having its "first Black female president."
"Well, you know what they supposedly said?" Jackson said. "She's not Black. That's what I heard. That she's Indian."
"I was told that they discovered her father was white," she added.
Jackson's comments come after former President Donald Trump publicly questioned Harris' race during his July appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. Trump claimed he "didn't know (Harris) was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black."
"Is she Indian or is she Black? Because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went (and) became a Black person," Trump said at the time.
Harris has been vocal about her racial identity since the start of her political career. The Democratic nominee's mother, Shymala Gopalan, was a breast cancer researcher from India, and her father, Donald Harris, is a Jamaican economic advisor who immigrated to the U.S.
Amid widespread backlash over Jackson's comments, an apology was issued on her behalf by Mo Elmasri, an Egyptian filmmaker who claimed to be the singer's manager and allegedly worked with her as a creative consultant. Elmasri told Buzzfeed that Jackson's remarks were "based on misinformation."
“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," the apology read. "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.”
However, Jackson's brother, Randy Jackson, is her current manager, USA TODAY confirmed. Jackson's reps said Elmasri wasn't authorized to issue the apology and has never worked on her team.
Elmasri is credited as an executive producer on the singer's upcoming TV documentary series "Janet Jackson: Family First," which is reportedly in production. Following the latest statement from Jackson's team, Elmasri told the Daily Beast he had been fired by the musician “due to disagreements between me, her, and Randy, after her meeting with the Guardian and her unbalanced statements.”
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