Whoopi Goldberg Defends Janet Jackson After Singer Said Kamala Harris Isn't Black: 'A Little Grace for the Girl'
Sept. 23 2024, Published 5:10 p.m. ET
Whoopi Goldberg came to Janet Jackson's defense after the singer claimed Kamala Harris is not "Black."
“Sometimes people get it wrong and they’re wrong! They made a mistake, they were wrong. It happens,” Goldberg said on the Monday, September 23, episode of The View. “Anybody who says it doesn’t happen to every one of us, multiracial or not, we all do it. So okay, a little grace for the girl. A little grace for the girl.”
Meanwhile, Ana Navarro also weighed in, writing, “Look, I think Janet Jackson — like every other American, whether you’re a celebrity or not — has a right to endorse, support, or not support whomever they want. She’s got every right to not like Kamala Harris if she wants to. What she did was spread misinformation. And I think it’s very irresponsible, when you have a platform the way Janet Jackson does, to use that platform carelessly, to spread misinformation based on a racist allegation by Donald Trump.”
As OK! previously reported, Jackson, 58, spoke to The Guardian about the upcoming election and Harris, who is running for president. “Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian,'" she claimed.
When the "Together Again" was told that Harris is both Black and Indian, Jackson pushed back, stating, “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.”
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Jackson didn't explain where she heard the information, which is false, as Harris is both Black and Indian. Her father, Donald J. Harris, came to the U.S. from Jamaica, while her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who died in 2009, came to the U.S. from India.
Jackson appeared to apologize for the remarks, however, it was later revealed that a man named Mo Elmasri claimed to be Janet's manager and was not authorized to release a statement on her behalf.
"Janet respects Harris’ dual heritage as both Black and Indian and apologizes for any confusion caused," his statement said.
Representatives for Janet said her brother, Randy Jackson, is her only manager.