Fact Check: Is Halsey black? All about her parents ethnicity as Paris Jackson Swarm joke goes viral

Donald Glover and Jabine Nabers’ show Swarm is gaining massive traction on social media after making reference to singer Halsey. In one of the scenes, Paris Jackson, who plays Hailey on the show, explains that she performs under the stage name of Halsey as both the character and the singer are of mixed race. However, it is worth noting that Halsey is not black, but is biracial in reality as well.

In Swarm, Hailey explains that she understands what it is like to not be accepted for who you are. She went on to admit that she ran away from her previous relationship because her ex-boyfriend could not accept that she was black. Speaking about her lineage, Hailey revealed in the show:

“My dad’s half… That’s why my stage name’s Halsey.”

Many found the scene jaw-dropping to see Paris Jackson seemingly throw shade at the Bad At Love singer. The former is biracial as well, as she is born to Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe.

Jackson was referring to Halsey’s biracial heritage on the show.

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Halsey is biracial and not black

The Without Me singer was born to mother Nicole and father Chris Frangipane in Edison, New Jersey. Her mother is of Italian, Hungarian, and Irish descent while her father is African-American. As of 2021, her mother worked as an EMT while her father managed a car dealership.

Her parents dropped out of college once Nicole became pregnant with Halsey. To make ends meet, the couple worked several jobs that included a security guard, a hospital clerk, and a car salesman. The singer has shared in the past that the family has moved around a lot. In an interview, she said:

“I grew up in a really chaotic household. There was always s**t being thrown.”

The 28-year-old singer has spoken about being biracial in the past. Speaking about navigating her identity, the Colors crooner had stated on Twitter in the past that she is “white-passing,” so she has never had to deal with the same challenges as those who are black. She claimed that it is not her place to claim her biracial identity to make a point, but to help the black community in any way she could.

Paris Jackson had amassed massive criticism for recognizing as black despite being biracial. Wendy Williams threw shade at her by saying:

“Black is not what you call yourself, it’s what the cops see you when they got steel to your neck on the turnpike. It’s what they see. Bit that’s cute and good for her.”

Jackson claimed in a Rolling Stone interview that she considered herself black as her pop legend father Michael Jackson told her to be proud of her roots.