Who is Mo Elmasri? Alleged Janet Jackson rep. who falsely issued apology over Kamala Harris statement says the singer fired him

A man named Mo Elmasri has made headlines after issuing an "unauthorized" apology on behalf of Janet Jackson, claiming to be her manager. The singer’s team swiftly refuted his claims, stating that Elmasri has no connections with the singer. Following this, Mo Elmasri has now alleged that he has been fired by Janet Jackson and her brother Randy due to her “unbalanced statements.”

The whole fiasco began after Janet Jackson's interview with The Guardian, published on Saturday, September 21, 2024, where she stated that Kamala Harris is “not black.” After this, Mo Elmasri’s statement about Janet apologizing for her comments garnered a response from Janet’s team and her manager.

As the whole fiasco made headlines, Mo Elmasri shared a statement with the Daily Beast via email on September 22, where he alleged that he had been fired by the singer. In the email, Elmasri mentioned:

“Janet Jackson fired me due to disagreements between me, her, and Randy, after her meeting with the Guardian and her unbalanced statements. That’s all I can say.”

Furthermore, The Daily Beast mentioned that they asked for further details, however, Mo Elmasri responded to this by stating that he could not “receive phone calls due to the large number of calls. He added:

“All support to Kamala Harris.”

As reported by Variety, Mo Elmasri is an Egyptian filmmaker and founder of a consulting firm, 24 East Agency. As per his bio on IMDb, Elmasri has allegedly managed several high-profile celebrities, including Jackson, Beyonce, Selena Gomez, and Britney Spears. However, the credibility of these claims cannot be confirmed as limited information is available about Janet’s alleged representative.

---

Janet Jackson is managed by her brother, Randy, and not Mo Elmasri: More details and the singer’s statement about Harris explored

On September 21, 2024, Janet Jackson spoke to The Guardian, where she made controversial remarks about Kamala Harris and 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."

While other celebrities like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift have shown support for Kamala Harris, Janet expressed uncertainty about the country's readiness for "a woman of color" and added:

“I’m unsure if America is ready for a woman of color to be president. I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t want to answer that because I really, truthfully, don’t know. I think either way it goes is going to be mayhem.”

Shortly after the comments went viral, Mo Elmasri falsely issued a statement, as reported by Buzzfeed:

“Janet Jackson would like to clarify her recent comments. She recognizes that her statements regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity were based on misinformation. 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 the unversed, Kamala Harris is the current Vice President of the United States of America and a candidate for the upcoming elections to be held in November. She is Jamaican-Indian, as her father was born in Jamaica, while her mother was an Indian.

On the other hand, neither Harris nor her representatives have responded to Janet Jackson's remarks. However, social media users are constantly pouring in their opinions on the fiasco, as many are criticizing Janet while others are siding with her.