Janet Jackson insiders, who are concerned about her career and reputation, blame Randy Jackson, the pop star’s older brother and manager, for letting her already offensive statements about Kamala Harris’ racial identity explode into an even bigger PR disaster.
Sources have told Page Six that the disaster proves that Randy Jackson lacks the experience and judgment to handle her career, while he’s also become “too loud a voice in her ear.”
According to Page Six, Randy Jackson is known for supporting Donald Trump and for trafficking in conspiracy theories, which could explain why his sister repeated a debunked, right-wing conspiracy theory during an interview with The Guardian, insisting that Harris is “not Black.” This theory echoes controversial statements Trump made about his Democratic opponent in the presidential race during an onstage interview in July at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago.
“(Randy’s) sabotaging her legacy because he’s not savvy,” a source told Page Six. “She’s giving Randy control, and no one understands how he’s managing her. … She pays for everything.”
Randy Jackson and Janet Jackson hold hands as they arrive outside Los Angeles Superior Court to hear opening statement in the involuntary manslaughter trial of pop superstar Michael Jackson’s personal physian Dr Conrad Murray September 27, 2011. Murrary is accused of manslaughter over the pop icon’s shock 2009 death at the age of 50. PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
“Janet’s bubble is small, and she listens to Randy,” the source added. “She does peddle in conspiracy theories.”
Jackson, 58, sparked online fury Saturday after her interview with The Guardian went viral. In the interview with the U.K. outlet, Jackson was asked what she thought of Harris potentially becoming the first Black woman to be elected president. In response, Janet said: “Well, you know what they supposedly said?”
“She’s not Black,” Jackson continued. “That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.” When the reporter responded that Harris has dual heritage, Jackson falsely claimed, “Her father’s White. That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days.”
Harris, an Oakland-born former San Francisco prosecutor, California attorney general and U.S. senator, is both the first Black and Asian-American vice president. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in India, while her father, Donald J. Harris, was born in Jamaica.
The backlash on social media was swift and devastating, with comedian D.L. Hughley saying on X that she sounded like she was speaking at “a Trump rally.” He also took a shot at the singer’s apparent use of plastic surgery.
“It’s a little ironic to question whether someone is black while you’re breathing through the nose of a white woman!” Hughley wrote on X.
But things got worse for Jackson when neither she nor someone from her team addressed the criticism.
Meanwhile, a man named Mo Elmasri, claiming to be her manager, issued an apology on her behalf to Buzzfeed News — only for Jackson’s representative to contact media outlets to say deny that she made such an apology. The representative also said that Elmasri doesn’t speak for her and doesn’t even work for her. The representative clarified that Randy Jackson, the eighth of the nine famous Jackson siblings, is her manager.
But as journalist Yashar Ali and others pointed out, this disavowal of Elmasri’s apology means that Jackson was “not walking back” her statements about Harris. Ali also said on X, “It is worth noting that Randy Jackson has a history of trafficking in misinformation.”
The apology drama grew more potentially damaging for Jackson after Elmasri sent an email to the Daily Beast, insisting that he did in fact work for Jackson but that she and her brother fired him because he tried to clean up her P.R. mess.
“Janet Jackson fired me due to disagreements between me, her, and Randy, after her meeting with the Guardian and her unbalanced statements,” Elmasri told the Daily Beast.
“That’s all I can say,” Elmasri added, saying he could not talk by phone due to “the large number of calls” coming in. But Elmasri added to the Daily Beast: “All support to Kamala Harris.”
For those Jackson insiders who spoke to Page Six, they fear that the situation could do more damage to her career than “Nipplegate” — the 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance scandal, which was prompted by Justin Timberlake ripping off a portion of her costume to reveal her breast.
The insiders explain that the situation also is upsetting because it could mar the legacy of a cultural icon who has used her platform and music to tackle such social issues as homophobia and racism and to promote female empowerment. They fear her specific comments about Harris — which she is apparently standing by — could tarnish her reputation as a champion of marginalized groups.
Her Harris comments seem to undermine the message of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s anthemic hit song “Rhythm Nation.” The lyrics call for people to use music to “break the color lines” and to protest for social justice. “We are a part of the Rhythm Nation/People of the world unite,” Jackson sings.
“How can she sing about ‘Rhythm Nation’ and make comments like that?” an insider said. “It doesn’t even sound like her. She’s so methodical. I don’t know what made her do this.”