According to Janet Jackson’s team, a so-called “apology” that was making the rounds—addressing comments she supposedly made about Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity—was completely unauthorized.
It turns out the person behind the statement wasn’t even remotely connected to her management.
The “apology” was reportedly shared by a man named Mo Elmasri, who falsely claimed to be Janet’s manager.
The statement, which surfaced on Buzzfeed and quickly spread across media outlets, tried to clean up comments Jackson had made in a recent interview.
The apology said Janet had “misunderstood” Harris’ heritage and expressed regret for any confusion.
Related: Janet Jackson Issues Apology Over Comments About VP Kamala Harris: ‘Based On Misinformation’
It even went on to say Janet respects Kamala’s dual Black and Indian roots.
Sounds nice, right? But here’s the catch—it wasn’t from Janet or anyone close to her.
For years, Janet has been managed by her brother, Randy Jackson, and the family is currently dealing with the loss of their older brother, Tito, who sadly passed away at 70 just last week.
So, naturally, Janet and her real team have been unavailable for comment.
As for Mo Elmasri, the man behind the unauthorized apology, his credentials are murky at best.
He claims to be an Egyptian filmmaker and a creative consultant to some of the biggest names in the industry, including Beyoncé and Britney Spears.
Yet, a quick look at his IMDb profile reveals some uncredited roles, and his connection to Janet Jackson remains highly questionable.
In the original interview with The Guardian, Jackson had sparked some raised eyebrows when she questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial background.
Apparently, she was under the impression Harris wasn’t Black, saying she had heard Harris was only Indian.
When told that Harris is both Black and Indian, Jackson doubled down, claiming she’d been told Harris’ father was actually white.
Related: Janet Jackson Says She ‘Heard’ Kamala Harris ‘Is Not Black’
Jackson’s comments seemed to echo some of the rhetoric former President Trump threw around during the 2020 election, when he bizarrely suggested Harris “turned Black” for political convenience.
For the record, Kamala Harris’ father is Jamaican, and her mother was Indian.
This mix-up, fake apologies, and all, just adds another layer of awkwardness to an already confusing situation. SMH.
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Source: Variety
