Janet Jackson Did Not Apologize for Saying Kamala Isn't Black

By Mike Redmond | Pajiba Love | September 22, 2024 |

So, let me walk you through this whirlwind of events. On Friday, The Guardian dropped an interview with Janet Jackson where — despite the best efforts of the reporter — Janet was adamant that Kamala Harris isn’t Black because “I was told that they discovered her father was white.” Obviously, no one has discovered that Harris’ father is white, and it’s quite easy to determine that he’s Black because he’s very much alive. In fact, here’s Donald Harris’ profile on Stanford’s website. It’s not like he fell into a volcano or something. Naturally, there was a swift and sizable backlash as people couldn’t believe that Janet is out here spreading conspiracy theories reeking of QAnon. The issue seemed to resolve itself on Sunday when someone claiming to represent Janet made a statement to Buzzfeed claiming that she’s sorry and regrets spreading misinformation. Except, nope, not really! Shortly after, Janet’s actual reps reached out to TMZ and said she did not authorize any statements, and her manager is her brother Randy Jackson. If they didn’t hear it from him, then they didn’t hear from her. So, basically, Janet Jackson did not apologize for saying Kamala Harris isn’t Black, and she would like the record to show that she never did. OK then. (TMZ)

Olivia Nuzzi reportedly sent “demure” photos of herself to RFK Jr. (Celebitchy)

Enjoy national treasure Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett dragging Project 2025ers. (Wonkette)

Saoirse Ronan enters the Oscars chat with two notable films out this fall, Blitz and The Outrun. (Lainey Gossip)

For her newsletter, Kayleigh wrote about the out-of-print memoir The Killing of the Unicorn, Peter Bogdanovich’s book about the life and murder of Dorothy Stratten, and delved into whether or not it should have been published. (The Gossip Reading Club)

Perry Farrell is seeking medical treatment and taking time to heal after cancelling Jane’s Addiction tour. Probably a good idea. (Rolling Stone)

From Roxana: Munn and Mulaney had another kid. (Instagram)

The Monica Lewinsky scandal delayed the start of The West Wing by a whole year to avoid everyone “rolling their eyes” at the show. (IndieWire)

From Nate: Is it bad when all your top employees quit? (NBC News)

Ridley Scott is already planning Gladiator 3. (THR)

A while ago, I tore through Zero Fail by Carol D. Leonnig, and the over-arching theme is that it’s a goddamn miracle the Secret Service hasn’t let every single president get killed on its watch. This story tracks with that. (Mediaite)

Banned Books Week has begun. BlackRaven has read the paperback and the updated graphic novel versions of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina. “Medina went out and wrote a book about the subject of bullying, self-worth, fear, sexuality and coming of age, and in a way that was relatable to many.” The book has been challenged for “language” and inappropriate topics for the age group. Do you live in an area where book bans have become common? (Cannonball Read 16)

From Andrew: