Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Whoopi Explains Why Janet Jackson Deserves 'Grace' After False Claims About Harris' Race

Whoopi Goldberg; Janet Jackson
The View; Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

The View cohosts debated the singer's comments claiming she heard Harris is 'not Black'—but Goldberg made a case for why Jackson deserves "a little grace."

Whoopi Goldberg is calling on people to have "a little grace" for pop icon Janet Jackson following her comments about Kamala Harris.

Jackson sparked major controversy after she told UK newspaper The Guardian that she heard Kamala Harris is "not black" and that she was told her father is white, which is false.


Harris' mother was South Asian and her father a Black man from Jamaica, and her race has frequently been at the center of right-wing smear campaigns.

The uproar over Jackson's comments made its way to the discussion table on The View. But while the cohosts were critical, Goldberg called for people to give Jackson a break.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

In her comments, Jackson essentially admitted to being ignorant of the latest news, leading many to speculate whether she'd fallen prey to right-wing disinformation campaigns about Harris.

These campaigns have centered on, among other things, accusations that Harris is not actually Black and that her frequent "code-switching"—changing her speech patterns when holding rallies with predominately Black audiences—is a ploy to fake her racial identity to win votes.

When the topic came up on The View, cohost Ana Navarro said:

"What [Janet Jackson] did was spread misinformation. 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."

But Goldberg was quick to jump in and offer some salient counterpoints about Jackson, framing the gaffe as part of our cultural insistence that celebrities be outspokenly political and have exactly the right politics.

She told her cohosts:

“Janet Jackson is not a political animal..."
“Sometimes people get it wrong, and they’re wrong. They made a mistake, they were wrong. It happens."
“So, OK, a little grace for the girl. A little grace for the girl."

Goldberg also added that Jackson is currently mourning her brother Tito Jackson, who passed away September 15 after having a heart attack.

She theorized that being lambasted in the media in the midst of that mourning is the likely reason for Jackson's silence about the gaffe since the interview dropped.

On social media, many applauded Goldberg for taking a more measured approach to Jackson's comments.



But the majority seemed to be more in line with Navarro's thoughts on Jackson.

Particularly given Jackson's lack of response to the uproar, many were not on Goldberg's side.




Calling for someone's head over their political comments never actually accomplishes anything.

But, be that as it may, it is pretty bracing to see that even someone like Janet Jackson is susceptible to far-right white nationalist propaganda. We live in strange times.

More from News/2024-election

Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Lauren Boebert speaking to Alex Stein
Prime Time with Alex Stein/Blaze Media

Lauren Boebert Casts Doubt On Moon Landing During Wild Interview With Conspiracy Theorist

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after she seemingly agreed with the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked in a wide-ranging interview with conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Stein.

The segment began with the duo casting doubt on nuclear weapons—Boebert even joked about needing "tin foil"—and moved into weirder territory when Stein praised Boebert for "vibing" with him on the topic of the moon landing. Conspiracy theorists have long alleged the moon landing was fabricated by NASA in what they claim was an elaborate hoax.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Oprah Winfrey
Simon Ackerman/Getty Images; Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Oprah For Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding In Scathing Poem

Among the various celebrity hangers-on who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Venice wedding, the one that seemed to generate the most controversy was Oprah Winfrey.

After all, a woman known for her progressive politics whose entire ethos is about teaching people how to be their best selves, attending the wedding of man who directly funded a fascist regime dismantling our country before our eyes doesn't exactly add up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa Murkowski
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Lisa Murkowski Slammed After Criticizing Massive Budget Bill She Just Voted For

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was slammed after she claimed that President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is "not there yet" despite casting the deciding vote to narrowly pass it before sending it back to the House.

In a marathon voting session, the Senate narrowly passed the legislation in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman listening to her boyfriend play guitar
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Things People Initially Found Attractive About Their Partner That Now Annoy Them

Being in a relationship can be wonderful, but it's not without its ups and downs.

In order for it to work, we have to allow it to grow and change over time rather than being locked forever into what it was when we first started dating our person.

Keep ReadingShow less