In today’s episode of “Celebrities Say the Darndest Things,” our beloved pop queen Janet Jackson found herself smack in the middle of a controversy—and not for her iconic dance moves this time. No, this time she did a little verbal moonwalk, straight into a conspiracy theory about Vice President Kamala Harris’ race. You know, just your average Tuesday.
So, here’s how it all went down. In an interview that has since caused approximately 1,000 raised eyebrows, Janet claimed, “She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian…her father’s white. That’s what I was told.” Oh, Janet. You and your “reliable” sources. Who’s been gossiping with the wind?
As you can imagine, the internet did what the internet does best—cue the outrage, memes, and probably a few conspiracy charts involving yarn and thumbtacks. Amid the backlash, Janet hit the pause button on the conspiracy track and issued a response faster than a remix drop. But not personally, of course—because if you’re Janet, you’ve got people for that.
Enter her manager, Mo Elmasri, who gallantly appeared to clean up the mess like a pop-star janitor, broom in hand. Mo dialed up BuzzFeed (because where else does one go for serious political corrections?) and said, “Whoa, whoa, hold your pop star pitches. This was all just a misunderstanding. Janet’s running on some outdated Wi-Fi of misinformation.”
Then came the diplomatic mop-up: “Janet deeply respects Vice President Kamala Harris and all her fabulousness as a Black and Indian woman.” (Because, duh, who wouldn’t respect a woman who can handle both the Senate and a hair flip?)
The statement wrapped up with, “Janet apologizes for any confusion caused and acknowledges the importance of accurate representation in public discourse.” Translation: “Sorry, everyone. We Googled it, and yeah, we got it wrong. Our bad!”
Finally, the note closed with a heartwarming commitment to “promoting unity.” Unity! Because nothing brings people together quite like an apology tour on a Monday morning.
Janet Jackson may have hit a wrong note this time, but at least she knows when to pass the mic and correct the record. Now, let’s get back to celebrating the real star here: Kamala’s fabulous multitasking skills.
Janet Jackson is one of the most influential people in music history. It was simply irresponsible of her to repeat something she “heard” regarding the very thing that they use against Kamala! Her own race. We are less than 50 days away from the election. We gotta talk smarter! pic.twitter.com/rKkCmTZoaw
— 𝔏𝔢𝔞𝔥 ♱ (@redforjanet) September 21, 2024