Janet Jackson has distanced herself from Mo Elmasri, who apologized to Vice President Kamala Harris on the singer’s behalf, addressing her controversial comments questioning Harris’s Black identity.
According to Janet Jackson’s representative, someone claiming to be her manager issued an unauthorized “apology.”
The statement came from Mo Elmasri, who claimed to be responding to the singer’s interview with The Guardian, which was published on Saturday. Janet Jackson questioned whether Vice President Kamala Harris is a Black woman.
During the interview, the music icon touched on various topics, but her comments about the Vice President have sparked significant conversation. Jackson seemed to question Harris’s racial identity, which has been a point of contention for some since the VP’s rise to prominence.
“Well, you know what they supposedly said?” Janet Jackson asked, referring to the Vice President’s mixed heritage. “She’s not Black — that’s what I heard, that she’s Indian.”
“Her father’s white,” Jackson is quoted as saying. “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.”
Shortly after the interview went viral, media outlets, Buzzfeed being the first, reported an apology from a man named Mo Elmasri, who—apparently inaccurately—claimed to be the singer’s manager.
Elmasri’s bio on the Internet Movie Database says he is an Egyptian filmmaker and founder of a consulting firm called 24 East Agency. He claims to be a “creative consultant for many global superstars,” including Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Britney Spears, and Selena Gomez.
“Janet Jackson would like to clarify her recent comments. She recognizes that her statements regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity were based on misinformation. Janet respects Harris’ dual heritage as both Black and Indian and apologizes for any confusion caused. She values the diversity Harris represents and understands the importance of celebrating that in today’s society. Janet remains committed to promoting unity and understanding,” the apology statement read.
Now, a rep for Janet Jackson told PEOPLE on Sunday evening that Mo Elmasri’s earlier statement, which claimed to be Jackson’s manager, was unauthorized. Apparently, Elmasri is not the singer’s manager, nor does that person represent her in any capacity.
Randy Jackson, her brother, is her manager.
When contacted by Variety, Elmasri claimed in an email, “I no longer work for her. I was fired by Janet and Randy after attempts to improve her image in front of public opinion and her fans, and this is something I do not deserve.”
For now, it seems Janet is focused on her mourning her older brother Tito, who died last Sunday at the age of 70.
As for Mo Elmasri, his few minutes of fame have officially come to an end!
