Whoopi defends Janet Jackson in Kamala Harris ‘not Black’ PR debacle

“The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg fiercely defended singer Janet Jackson on Monday over her suggestion that Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t black.

As previously reported, Jackson recently suggested during an interview with “The Guardian” that Harris isn’t black on account of her father being white (her father is in fact black).

This prompted a massive backlash from Harris’ groupies, including those on “The View.”

Take co-host Ana Navarro, who on Monday accused Jackson of spreading so-called “misinformation.”

“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 began. “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,” she added.

Former President Donald Trump never said Harris isn’t black. He just noted that she’s recently begun highlighting her black side after having spent years highlighting only the Indian side of her ancestry.

Continuing the discussion on “The View,” Goldberg expressed disagreement with Navarro.

Listen to her response below:

(Video Credit: The View)

“Hold on, hold on, Janet Jackson is not a political animal,” she began. “She’s a musician, her life is doing this, and she’s mourning her brother.”

Jackson’s brother Tito recently died at the age of 70.

“Sometimes I’ve said stuff and I was wrong, but people want you to say something right away,” Goldberg continued. “But when people are coming at you saying, ‘hey, you’re dumb, you don’t know…’ you know, you don’t want to answer people and it is a pain in the butt, I have to tell you.”

Fellow co-host Sara Haines then cut in to offer her take.

“The fastest-growing group in this country is multiracial individuals, not bi, multiracial individuals,” she said. “My biracial friends always struggled that they weren’t white enough or they weren’t black enough and they were always left in the middle. The middle is where the world is headed, and so we need to be more open about people’s identities and what they identify as and have some grace.”

Goldberg for her part continued to defend Jackson.

“Sometimes people get it wrong, and they’re wrong,” she said. “They made a mistake, they were wrong, it happens [and] anybody who says it doesn’t happen to every one of us, multiracial or not, we all do it. So, a little grace for the girl, a little grace for the girl, alright?”

All this comes days after a man named Mo Elmasri issued a statement to Buzzfeed ostensibly on Jackson’s behalf.

“She deeply respects Vice President Kamala Harris and her accomplishments as a black and Indian woman,” he said. “Janet apologizes for any confusion caused and acknowledges the importance of accurate representation in public discourse.”

But speaking with Variety magazine, Jackson’s official management team said Elmasri isn’t authorized to speak for her.

Meanwhile, Jackson continues to face growing backlash on social media, where former fans have thrown her under the bus for daring to disrespect their dear leader.

Look:

Vivek Saxena

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