Janet Jackson Criticized for Claiming Kamala Harris ‘Isn’t Black’ in Controversial Interview

Janet Jackson faced backlash after questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial identity during an interview with The Guardian, which was published on Saturday.

The “That’s The Way Love Goes” singer, 58, referred to Harris as “not black,” saying, “She’s Indian… 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.”

Janet Jackson is under fire for questioning Kamala Harris’ race in an interview with the Guardian published on Saturday. Janet Jackson/Instagram

Harris, 59, is the daughter of immigrants—her father is Jamaican, and her mother is Indian. Jackson’s false claims quickly sparked outrage on social media, with many criticising her statements. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “This is why she’s irrelevant and leeching off of her brothers’ success,” referencing her late brother, Michael Jackson, who famously dealt with controversies regarding his skin colour due to vitiligo.

“She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian,” the Grammy-winning singer said. Instagram/@janetjackson

Many fans expressed disappointment, with one commenting, “Janet, you know better than to believe that nonsense… especially after all the race controversies Michael went through…” Another user criticised her for spreading unverified information, stating, “‘That’s what I heard is the new way of saying ‘I believe the stupid, unsubstantiated s–t people tell me.’” Some fans, long supportive of Jackson, voiced their shock and disapproval, with one writing, “I have always been a fan of Janet Jackson, but this just no. Stop.”

She added, “I was told that they discovered her father was white.” Instagram/@janetjackson

Jackson’s comments were also compared to previous statements by former President Donald Trump, who has similarly questioned Harris’s racial identity. Speaking at a conference of Black journalists in July, Trump said, “I’ve known her a long time, indirectly, and she was always of Indian heritage… I did not know she was black until several years ago when she happened to turn black, and now she wants to be known as black.”

Jackson was criticized online, with an X user calling her “irrelevant” and a “leech.” AFP/Getty Images

Janet’s older brother Michael’s race and skin color caused controversy in the 1990s when his skin turned from black to white, supposedly due to vitiligo. Getty Images

Harris comes from a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. NO CREDIT

Her race was questioned by Donald Trump over the summer during a conference for black journalists. Getty Images

The Republican presidential nominee accused her of switching how she identifies to help her career. AP

“I did not 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,” he said. Getty Images

Trump continued, “I respect either one, but she doesn’t, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn and … she became black.”

Page Six contacted Jackson’s representative for comment on the matter but has not yet received a response.