Janet Jackson's 'apology' for shocking comments about Kamala Harris was not approved by singer
23 September 2024, 12:37 | Updated: 23 September 2024, 12:55
Janet Jackson’s management has claimed an apology released on the popstar’s behalf after comments she made about Vice President Kamala Harris was made by an unauthorised party.
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Jackson was slammed after suggesting Harris had lied about her father being black.
Representatives for the pop icon told Variety that a statement released apologising to Kamala Harris was not made by Jackson’s management.
Mo Elmasri “apparently inaccurately” told Buzzfeed that he represented the singer as he shared the apology.
The statement from Elmasri read: “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.
It 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.”
However, in a bizarre twist, it appears this statement was made without Jackson’s involvement or permission.
The Indiana-born entertainer has been managed by her brother Randy for years, Variety reports.
Elmasri’s IMDB page, however, points towards connections to Jackson, claiming he “'now works as a creative consultant for many global superstars, including Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Britney Spears and Selena Gomez.”
And Elmasri himself claims he was fired by Jackson after raising objections to her comments about Ms Harris.
He told The Daily Beast: “Janet Jackson fired me due to disagreements between me, her, and Randy, after her meeting with the Guardian and her unbalanced statements. That’s all I can say.”
Yet Jackson’s representatives said “Elmasri has absolutely no connection to” the singer.
Jackson was slammed after suggesting Kamala Harris was lying about her ethnicity.
She told the Guardian: “Well, you know what they supposedly said? She's not Black.
“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.”
This is not true, Harris’ father, Donald J. Harris, was a black Jamaican economics professor.
