"Janet Jackson is not a political animal" — The View's Whoopi Goldberg and others weigh in on the singer's remarks about Kamala Harris

On a recent episode of The View, hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussed Janet Jackson's comment about Kamala Harris in an interview with The Guardian, where she said Harris is "not Black." Whoopi Goldberg defended Janet, who has faced online backlash since the interview.

Whoopi Goldberg asked the critics to give Janet Jackson “a little grace,” as she said:

“Sometimes people get it wrong and they’re wrong! They made a mistake, they were wrong. It happens. Janet Jackson is not a political animal. Anybody who says it doesn’t happen to every one of us, multiracial or not, we all do it. So okay, a little grace for the girl. A little grace for the girl.”

However, not all of the hosts of the show agreed with Whoopi Goldberg as Sunny Hostin commented on the matter by saying that she does not “want to give it this much air.” On the other hand, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro also opposed Jackson, as they stated that the singer was “spreading misinformation.”

For the unversed, Janet Jackson said in a recent interview with The Guardian, published on Saturday, September 21, 2024:

“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."

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“I think it’s very irresponsible” — The View co-host Ana Navarro’s statement explored as Whoopi Goldberg jumps in support of the singer

While Whoopi Goldberg extended her support to Janet Jackson, other hosts of The View also opined about the statement passed by the singer. During the show, Ana Navarro slammed the singer for spreading misinformation, as she said:

“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’s got every right to not like Kamala Harris if she wants to. What she did was spread misinformation.”

She continued:

“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.”

However, Whoopi Goldberg once again jumped in the support of Janet Jackson after Navarro completed her stance, and claimed that she herself has been in a similar situation many times, as celebrities are often asked to speak on current events immediately, in an impromptu manner. Whoopi Goldberg said:

“Sometimes I’ve said stuff and I was wrong, but people want you to say something right away. 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 b*tt, I have to tell you.”

Furthermore, other co-hosts of the show, Sunny Hostin, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sara Haines also thought differently, and expressed that what Janet spoke was not correct. Sara Haines shared her opinion on the matter, and said:

“The fastest-growing group in this country is multiracial individuals, not bi, multiracial individuals so asking people, ‘what are you?’ 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.”

On the other hand, Janet Jackson continues to be in the headlines, as after she passed the statement, a man claiming to be her representative, Mo Elmasri issued an apology on behalf of the singer. However, her team was prompt to release another statement claiming that the apology was “unauthorized” and Elmasri has no connections with the singer.

However, as of now, neither Janet Jackson has commented on the reactions of the masses and other celebrities, nor has Kamala Harris addressed what Jackson said about her in the interview.