Janet Jackson’s Representatives Say She Didn’t Authorize Apology for Questioning Kamala Harris’ Race
Representatives for Janet Jackson tell TheWrap that the singer didn’t authorize an apology for comments Jackson made to the Guardian about Kamala Harris in which she questioned Harris’ race and ethnicity, adding that Elmasri has no connection with Jackson. The dubious apology was first reported by BuzzFeed, citing Elmasri, who has described himself as her manager and been quoted in media outlets on her behalf previously. The purported apology had noted that the singer made her inaccurate comments “based on misinformation.”
Elmasri is credited on IMDB as a producer on a forthcoming documentary, “Janet Jackson: Family First,” tracking her recent “Together Again” tour. Elmasri has issued statements to the press on behalf of Jackson describing himself as her manager in the past, including last month about a forthcoming Las Vegas residency, but he is not her manager and has no known official ties with Jackson, according to her representatives.
Elmasri did not immediately respond to request for comment. Janet and Randy, mourning the recent death of their brother Tito, were unavailable for comment, Variety reported.
Jackson caused a furor on social media after her comments in an interview with the Guardian. Speaking of the Democratic candidate, the famed singer told the outlet that “her father’s white. That’s what I was told.”
Harris’ father is professor Donald J. Harris, a Black man born in Jamaica who married her Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan, in 1963 while the two were attending the University of California, Berkeley. Harris was born in 1964 while her sister, Maya, was born in 1967. The couple divorced in 1971.
Jackson’s comment came when she was asked for her opinion about the upcoming U.S. presidential election and the possibility that the country will elect its first Black woman to the office.
“Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian,” Jackson said.
After the interviewer clarified that Harris is biracial, Jackson added, “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.”
A LinkedIn profile for Elmasri indicated he is the founder of 24 East, a consultancy firm based in Egypt for “music superstars,” with an IMDB bio indicating their clients have included Jackson, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Selena Gomez. Credits for Elmasri include uncredited crew roles on “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” and “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum.” His LinkedIn also cited an internship at Lionsgate. The LinkedIn page has since been either deleted or suspended.
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