Janet Jackson has debunked an apology statement by a manager claiming to represent her.
The statement attributed to Mo Elmasri was in response to Janet’s interview with The Guardian, released on Sept. 21, where the 58-year-old singer raised questions about Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial identity.
Janet’s spokesperson told PEOPLE that Elmasri is not associated with Janet and clarified that Randy Jackson serves as Janet’s manager.
The statement released by Elmasri on Sunday, which the singer’s representative emphasized does not speak for Janet, conveyed an apology regarding comments made about Harris that were deemed to be rooted in misinformation.
In her interview with The Guardian on Saturday, Janet incorrectly stated that Harris, aged 59, is not Black, echoing a debunked right-wing conspiracy theory.
The singer faced criticism for questioning Harris’ racial background in an interview with the Guardian released on Saturday.
When asked about Americans voting for the first Black female presidential nominee, Janet replied, “She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.”
She continued, “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.”
Harris’ parents hailed from different countries, with her father born in Jamaica and her mother in India.
When asked if the US was prepared to see Harris, in the Office instead of Republican opponent Donald Trump, Janet hesitated, saying, “I don’t know.
“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.”
The singer has since faced backlash on social media for her remarks.
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