An “apology” attributed to Janet Jackson after she claimed that Democratic US presidential candidate Kamala Harris is not Black was reportedly not authorised by the singer. The singer, 58, whose Jackson Five brother Tito died aged 70 last week, made the shocking comments about Ms Harris, 59, when asked how she felt about the US potentially having its first female Black president. The singer claimed: “She’s not Black.
That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian. Her father’s white.
That’s what I was told.” Jackson then admitted she hadn’t “watched the news in a few days” but was told somebody had “discovered” Ms Harris’ father “was white”. Her remarks echoed a false claim made by Ms Harris’s White House rival Donald Trump, who claimed in July that the current Vice President “happened to turn Black” a few years ago, saying that “all of a sudden, she made a turn” in her identity.
Ms Harris was born to Indian cancer researcher Shyamala Gopalan and Donald Harris, a Black economics professor from Jamaica. Hours after Jackson’s comments were published in an interview with The Guardian , a statement sent to Buzzfeed by Mo Elmasri, apparently claiming to be her manager, said she apologised for her remarks. Mr Elmasri’s statement, which was reported by multiple news outlets, said: “She deeply respects Vice President Kamala Harris and her accomplishments as a Black and Indian woman.
“Janet apologises for any confusion caused and acknowledge.