Janet Jackson’s alleged ‘manager,’ Mo Elmasri, was reportedly fired after publicly apologizing for Jackson’s claims that Vice President Kamala Harris was not Black.
Following the backlash of Jackson’s statement, which was captured in a Guardian article released Saturday, Elmasri told Buzzfeed that her claims were “based on misinformation.”
“She deeply respects Vice President Kamala Harris and her accomplishments as a Black and Indian woman. Janet apologizes for any confusion caused and acknowledges the importance of accurate representation in public discourse,” Elmasri said. “We appreciate the opportunity to address this and will remain committed to promoting unity.”
According to the Daily Beast, Elmasri was fired by Jackson and her main manager and brother, Randy, following disagreements surrounding the apology and publication of The Guardian article.
“Janet Jackson fired me due to disagreements between me, her, and Randy, after her meeting with the Guardian and her unbalanced statements,” Elmasri told the Daily Beast in an email.
This weekend, popstar Janet Jackson has found her name in a media whirlwind following her comments about VP Harris’ racial/ethnic identity.
In The Guardian article, Jackson was discussing the topics in her single “Rhythm Nation,” which included child trafficking and “joining voices in protest to social justice.” This prompted writer, Nosheen Iqbal, to ask the singer her thoughts on Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy and the possibility of having America’s first Black female president.
This is when Jackson said, “Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.”
When Iqbal tells her that Harris is, in fact, Black and Indian, Jackson responds:
“‘Her father’s white. That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days,’ she coughs. ‘I was told that they discovered her father was white.’”
These sentiments echo those of Donald Trump, who made false claims about Harris’ racial identity at a rally in July in an attempt to deter voters from her.
Kamala Harris father, Donald Harris, 85, is a Black Jamaican economist who immigrated to America and is currently an emeritus professor at Stanford University. Her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, immigrated from southern India. The two met at University of California, Berkeley, and were part of an African American study group (Gopalan was welcomed in as a fellow person of color) according to an article by the New York Times.
Harris also noted in her memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” that her mother knew raising mixed children in America, that this country would see Kamala and her sister, Maya, as Black girls. She wrote: “She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women.”
