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Janet Jackson’s inner circle fear she’s giving brother Randy too much control over her career amid backlash for saying Kamala Harris is not Black

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As someone who has been fortunate enough to live and work in diverse communities across the globe, I find it disheartening to witness such unnecessary and baseless discussions about one’s identity, particularly regarding Vice President Kamala Harris. The fact that her race has become a topic of debate among certain individuals is disappointing and indicative of a lack of understanding and empathy for people who have multifaceted backgrounds.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m observing the latest stir caused by Janet Jackson, who admitted questioning the background of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris. This move has raised eyebrows among some of her close companions, leading to speculation about potential influences on her career path from one of her siblings.

After receiving criticism for her comments about Harris’ racial identity and a chaotic PR effort that ensued, several sources discussed the supposed impact of Randy Jackson on his sibling, which has been a topic of interest.

They used Janet’s struggles following her comments about Harris and the mishandling of its aftermath as proof that Randy is beyond his capabilities and has excessive control over the Rhythm Nation artist.

Reports additionally suggested that Randy, aged 62, is a sympathizer of Donald Trump and has a penchant for exploring conspiracy theories. However, it was not confirmed whether he endorsed Janet’s unfounded assertions regarding Harris’ ethnicity.

58-year-old Jackson stirred up a storm on social media after she openly shared her unconventional opinions regarding the potential Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidency in an interview with The Guardian.

“Apparently, it has been said that she is not Black; instead, she’s believed to be of Indian descent because her father is white. I haven’t caught up on the news recently, but I’ve heard this information from someone.

She mentioned, “I’ve skipped watching the news for a couple of days,” and then she continued, “I learned that her father is of Caucasian descent.

As a lifestyle expert, I must share an inspiring piece of recent history: I am privileged to have played a part in a groundbreaking moment, as I served alongside President Joe Biden in 2021 – becoming the first Black and South Asian individual, but more importantly, the first female vice president. Born to a Jamaican father and a white mother, my heritage has opened doors for many to see the beauty of diversity and representation at its finest.

Later on, Jackson faced criticism across social media and from political commentators, with his remarks being compared to the baseless conspiracy theory previously put forth by former President Donald Trump about Kamala Harris. This theory suggested that Harris had initially identified as Indian and then switched to Black for political gain.

It seems that Janet’s immediate circle found her recent interview puzzling, and they expressed concern over potentially severe consequences for her profession.

Among her closest associates, there was concern that the backlash might exceed the repercussions of her infamous “Nipplegate” incident at the Super Bowl. They worried that her supporters from various ethnic minorities could disassociate themselves from her due to her recent comments.

In a surprising turn of events, the allegedly untrue statements stood out sharply because Jackson has consistently denounced racism and various types of prejudice, not just in her artistic work, but also in her personal dealings.

One source expressed concern, telling the outlet, ‘Why is she singing about Rhythm Nation and speaking like that? It’s not typical of her style. She’s always so meticulous. I can’t figure out why she chose to act this way.’

The London-based vocalist seldom watches the news these days, instead residing in a sort of self-contained environment.

It was discovered that it wasn’t until Janet and Randy were enjoying themselves in Paris with a social circle that included designer Christian Siriano, that they learned about the uproar surrounding her interview.

According to another source, they intended to skirt around the issue and simply wait for it to resolve itself.

It turned out that the strategy of waiting and observing was ineffective when a man, who introduced himself as Mo Elmasri and claimed to manage her, apologized for Janet’s comments through Buzzfeed, on her behalf.

Not long after, Janet’s representative confirmed again that Randy handled her affairs, clarifying that Elmasri was not among her staff.

It was stated that neither Janet nor her sibling would provide any comments regarding the issue since they have been preoccupied with grieving over the passing of their brother, Tito Jackson, who sadly passed away on September 15th and the cause of his death has recently come to light at the age of 70.

Later on, Elmasri asserted to The Daily Beast that he indeed worked for Janet, but was dismissed following a dispute over their approach to addressing the fallout from her catastrophic interview, in which he disagreed with both Janet and Randy.

Multiple sources told Page Six that ‘No one [in her camp] knows who [Elmasri] is.’

One of the sources remarked casually, “He’s come entirely unexpectedly. Nobody seems to know him, not even a whisper about him.

It’s worth mentioning that earlier, Elmasri stated he was Jackson’s manager when he unveiled her upcoming Las Vegas residency in August.

Despite a subsequent official statement from her team, they neither challenged nor responded to Elmasri’s statement directly.

A different source, who like others was unfamiliar with this individual claiming to be Jackson’s manager, speculated that there might have been a real link between them. However, they suspected that it could be Randy who had employed him.

But another source who had also not heard of the person claiming to be Jackson’s manager thought that he may have had an actual connection to her, but they believed Randy may have hired him. 

They went on to accuse Randy of ‘sabotaging her legacy because he’s not savvy.’

Critics mocked him for attempting to guide Janet’s professional life since he hadn’t built a career himself, and they claimed his younger sister finances everything.

They went on to allege that the older sibling is a ‘Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist.’

It was said that ‘Janet’s circle is quite limited, and she often pays attention to Randy. However, she is known for not sharing unproven theories about secret plots or events.’

During an interview with The Guardian, Janet implied that Randy may have contributed to the postponement of her upcoming album, Black Diamond, which she had announced before the onset of COVID-19 restrictions, and the subsequent cancellation of its promotional tour.

Jackson expressed her deep regret over the delay and asserted that there was music she had been holding back, eager for its release.

She said, “I visited my brother, Randy… And it seems to me, he’s biding his time, waiting for the right moment.

However, various reports suggest that Janet doesn’t possess the necessary resources for a new album at present, and it’s alleged that she hasn’t returned to the recording studio to work on new music since before the emergence of COVID-19.

Previously, Mo Elmasri stated that he was let go from his position working for Janet Jackson, following a current dispute about comments the singer made regarding Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ heritage.

Elmasri made his comments following representatives for the 58-year-old singer, whose brothers were part of the Jackson Five (responsible for hits like Blame It On The Boogie), informing Variety on Sunday that Elmasri issued a statement about Jackson without proper authorization.

According to Elmasri’s statement to The Daily Beast via email, his termination by Janet Jackson was a result of conflicts involving him, Janet, and her brother Randy (Jackson), who is also her manager. These disagreements arose after Janet had an encounter with The Guardian, where she made some controversial statements. Unfortunately, that’s all he could reveal about the situation.

Elmasri mentioned that he was unable to take phone calls because he was overwhelmed with numerous incoming calls about the topic. Furthermore, he expressed his support for Kamala Harris.

On Sunday, representatives for Jackson clarified to TMZ that Elmasri holds no affiliation whatsoever with the Control record label artist.

As reported by the source, an individual claiming to be Elmasri allegedly provided incorrect information to Buzzfeed, stating that they were the singer’s representative in their apology for the remarks concerning the vice president.

According to Elmasri’s statement, Janet Jackson wants to make things clear about her previous remarks. She acknowledges that her comments concerning Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial background were grounded in incorrect information.

It continued: ‘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.’

For several years, the performer who hails from Gary, Indiana has been overseen by her brother Randy. According to Variety, this management arrangement has been in place, and the family is currently unable to provide comments due to their mourning process following the September 15 passing of Tito Jackson.

In his iMDb biography, it’s mentioned that Elmasri is an Egyptian filmmaker who heads 24 East Agency, a consulting firm. It notes that he currently functions as a creative consultant for numerous international celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Selena Gomez.

Elmasri’s accolades on the website are listed as executive producer for Janet Jackson: Family First, along with unrecognized positions as creative director in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and trainee assistant director in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019).

Jackson stirred up a storm on social media after openly expressing her contentious opinions regarding the potential Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election in an interview with The Guardian.

She said: ‘Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That 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.’

Responding to a storm of disapproval and letdown over the pop star’s remarks, reminiscent of those made by the GOP’s 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump, Elmasri released the stated response to Buzzfeed.

The statement attributed to Elmasri did not go over well with everyone. 

One X user posted: ‘Janet Jackson sounded an absolute fool in that interview and I am very disappointed. We are less than 50 days away from the election. We gotta talk smarter!’

Another user posted on X: ‘Janet Jackson is one of the most influential people in music history. It was simply irresponsible of her to repeat something she “heard” regarding the very thing that they use against Kamala! Her own race.’

In the year 1964, Kamala Harris was born to Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher of Indian origin, and Donald J. Harris, a Jamaican-born economics professor. They got married in 1963 and parted ways in 1971, having given birth to Kamala and her younger sister Maya, who is now 57 years old.

As a lifestyle guide, I’d share this information like so: In 2009, at the age of 70, I lost a significant figure named Gopalan to cancer. On the brighter side, Professor Donald Harris, an esteemed economist, hung up his Stanford University professorship in 1998 at the age of 86 and now enjoys his well-deserved retirement.

In simpler terms, during Michael Jackson’s career, there were rumors about changes in his skin color from dark to light. He attributed this to a health issue known as vitiligo and strongly denied any allegations of skin bleaching.

Trump suggested that Harris “just happened to identify as African-American” during his speech at the National Association of Black Journalists’ conference in Chicago, in July.

He said: ‘She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage.

It wasn’t until recently that I learned she identifies as Black. This change occurred some years ago, and now she prefers to be recognized as such. However, I’m unsure because she was previously perceived as Indian. So, I’m questioning, is she of Indian descent or does she identify as Black?

‘I have respect for both identities, but it seems to me that she doesn’t feel the same way, as she initially identified as Indian, then suddenly changed and now identifies as Black. I think it would be worth investigating how and why this change occurred.’

Later on, Harris dismissed the comments made by Trump, claiming they were just a repetition of his usual tactics – stirring up division and showing disregard.

She added: ‘The American people deserve better.’

The vice president has yet to comment on Jackson’s remarks about her race.

Many conservatives were offended by Trump’s remarks regarding Harris’ racial background, including some of his own loyal supporters who felt he should have targeted her policy stances instead.

Earlier this month, Trump appeared to double down on his comments about Harris’ race.

‘I don’t care what she is. I don’t care. Whatever she wants to be is okay with me.’

According to recent surveys, the competition between Trump and Harris is extremely close, with just a slim margin separating them as Election Day approaches on November 5.

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2024-09-24 08:24

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