Janet Jackson 'apology' for Kamala Harris remarks weren't authorized, came from man claiming to be manager

An apology thought to be from singer Janet Jackson following a comment repeating misinformation about Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity wasn't actually made by her or authorized by her team.

Representatives confirmed to NBC News on Monday that the statement, made to BuzzFeed over the weekend by a man named Mo Elmasri, was not authorized. Elmasri claimed to be Jackson's manager, but representatives for Jackson said her brother Randy Jackson is her only manager.

The controversy began Saturday when Jackson's interview with The Guardian was published, in which she made an erroneous claim about Harris. Jackson told the interviewer that she had "heard" Harris was Indian, not Black.

Jackson continued to push what she had "heard" even though the interviewer explained that Harris' father is Black.

“[Harris’] father’s white,” Jackson is quoted as saying. “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.”

That is not true. Harris’ father is Jamaican, and her mother was Indian.

Jackson was hit with a wave of backlash for the remark online, with some people describing her as "simply irresponsible" for spreading misinformation. Others were less kind, calling her "stupid" and saying she sounded like an "absolute fool."

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A day after the interview was released, BuzzFeed published remarks from Elmasri believed to have been made on Jackson's behalf. He told the site that Jackson's remarks were “based on misinformation” and that Jackson apologized for any confusion.

"Janet respects Harris’ dual heritage as both Black and Indian and apologizes for any confusion caused," his statement said.

Elmasri told Variety that he was fired as Jackson's representative because of disagreements over her comments.

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"I was fired by Janet and Randy, after attempts to improve her image in front of public opinion and her fans, and this is something I do not deserve," Elmasri said in an email to Variety.

Elmasri did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

Harris' mixed-race identity has target a point of attack from Donald Trump after she jumped into this year's presidential election after President Joe Biden decided not to seek a new term.

Trump said he had never known Harris to be anything other than Indian in an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in July.

"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," Trump said.

He suggested "somebody should look into that." Trump repeated the attack onstage with Harris at the presidential debate on Sept. 10.

Harris has touted her Black heritage for decades, and she attended Howard University, a private historically Black institution. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first historically Black sorority in the U.S.

During her time in the Senate, Harris also was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.