The Kamala Harris And Janet Jackson Drama, Explained

Singer-songwriter Janet Jackson jumped into the political culture wars with a statement about Vice President Kamala Harris' ethnicity. In a September 21, 2024 interview with The Guardian, Jackson weighed in on the presidential election, repeating a conspiracy theory touted by former President Donald Trump. "She's not Black. That's what I heard. That she's Indian," the singer claimed, reiterating the false right-wing claim about Harris' background. "Her father's white. That's what I was told."

The statement was a callback to the debunked accusation Trump has been making since a July appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. He repeated the false accusation again at the 2024 presidential debate, saying, "I read that she was Black. Then I read that she was not Black."

Throughout her political career, Harris has been open about identifying as both Black and Indian American. Any claims otherwise have been firmly debunked, according to Reuters. Her parents, economist and Stanford professor Donald Harris and biomedical scientist Shyamala Gopalan, are first-generation immigrants from Jamaica and India, respectively. Jackson's comments sparked a dramatic response online. "Janet, are you dumb?" posted one frustrated user on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another user, who runs a fan account for the "Rhythm Nation" singer, wrote that Jackson's remarks were "simply irresponsible." Fans were surprised, in part, as the pop icon regularly uses her high-profile status to support LGBTQ rights, women's rights, and Black Lives Matter.

Despite the backlash, it appears Janet Jackson isn't ready to apologize for her comments, as the drama got even weirder when Mo Elmasri, who claimed to be Jackson's manager, issued a statement, supposedly on Jackson's behalf. According to Time, the statement apologized for perpetuating misinformation, adding: "Janet respects Kamala Harris' dual heritage as both Black and Indian and apologizes for any confusion caused... Janet remains committed to promoting unity and understanding."

However, Jackson issued a follow-up statement through a rep later the same day, claiming no affiliation with Elmasri and distancing herself from the apology statement itself. Elmasri told Variety he was fired after releasing the statement "to improve her image in front of public opinion and her fans," while additional sources from Jackson's team assured the outlet that Elmasri was not associated with the pop star.

In her interview with The Guardian, Jackson indicated she was unsure whether the U.S. was ready for a Harris presidency. For now, it seems, Harris will have to be content with endorsements from pop stars like Taylor Swift and Charli XCX.