What did Janet Jackson initially say about Kamala Harris?

Jackson brought up what she “heard” about Harris’ identity when she recently spoke with host Nosheen Iqbal on The Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast.

“Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian,” Jackson said on the podcast.

Iqbal pushed back to clarify that Harris comes from a Black and South Asian heritage. Still, Jackson continued to speak about a conspiracy theory she heard.

“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 they discovered her father was white,” she said.

What Janet Jackson said about Kamala Harris potentially becoming the president?

As she continued to talk about the upcoming election, Jackson said she doesn’t know if  “America is ready” to have a Black woman for president.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t want to answer that because I really, truthfully, don’t know. I think either way it goes is going to be mayhem.”

Janet Jackson’s questions about Harris’ identity mirror right-wing talking points

With her comments on Harris’ identity, Jackson regurgitating (whether indirectly or not) the same lies spewed by Republican nominee Donald Trump and his supporters. In July, Trump appeared at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Chicago and questioned Harris’ background.

“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting the Indian heritage,” Trump said at the convention, per people. “I didn’t know she was Black, until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”

Despite the conspiracy theories that have continued to circulate in recent months, it’s well known that Harris father, Donald, is Jamaican and her late mother Shyamala Gopalan comes from southern India. Donald is an economics professor at Stanford University, per Deadline. Gopalan was a breast cancer researcher and scientist. Harris’ parents met  at the University of California, Berkeley after coming to the U.S.

An apology that was debunked

BuzzFeed reported that Jackson had issued an apology, however, as Variety reports, this apology was unauthorized. BuzzFeed initially stated that in a statement released through her manager Mo Elmasri, Jackson admitted that she spoke “based on misinformation” about Harris’ family and ethnicity.

“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 allegdly told BuzzFeed. “We appreciate the opportunity to address this and will remain committed to promoting unity.”

Variety reported that the statement to BuzzFeed “was made by a person who is not the singer’s manager, as he had claimed, and thus was not authorized to speak on her behalf,” and also noted that Jackson’s longtime manager has been her brother, Randy.