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

Hillary Clinton
Kimberly White/Getty Images for Common Sense Media

Hillary Clinton Has Iconic Reaction To Trump Administration's 'Atlantic' Text Scandal

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a succinct response after Jeffrey Goldberg—the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic—revealed he was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials discussing military strategy surrounding their war strikes in Yemen.

Goldberg revealed a highly unusual and concerning situation where senior Trump administration officials were allegedly discussing war plans over a group chat on Signal. Goldberg recounted that Representative Mike Waltz added him to an 18-person group chat, which he initially suspected was a hoax or disinformation campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vivian Jenna Wilson; Elon Musk
@vivllainous/TikTok; Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Elon Musk's Trans Daughter Epically Claps Back After Musk Claims His Child 'Died'

Elon Musk's estranged trans daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, used an iconic soundbite from RuPaul's Drag Race to clap back at Musk's claim that his child had "died."

The SpaceX co-founder responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) defending Musk for appearing to give the Nazi salute twice at Republican President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Mike Myers and Mark Carney
@MarkJCarney/X

Mike Myers Joins Canada's New Prime Minister For Epic Jab At Trump In Viral Video

Actor and comedian Mike Myers has gone viral after joining Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for a video message that mocks President Donald Trump and his plan to make Canada the 51st state of the United States.

In the Liberal Party skit, Mike Myers and Mark Carney—both dressed in red Canada jerseys—share a moment at a hockey practice. Carney starts off skeptical of Myers, questioning his Canadian credentials since he now lives in the United States, despite being born and raised in Canada.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Buttigieg
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Drops F-Bombs After Trump Administration Invites Journalist Into High-Level Military Group Chat

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg passionately spoke out after Jeffrey Goldberg—the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic—revealed he was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials discussing military strategy surrounding their war strikes in Yemen.

Goldberg revealed a highly unusual and concerning situation where senior Trump administration officials were allegedly discussing war plans over a group chat on Signal. Goldberg recounted that Representative Mike Waltz added him to an 18-person group chat, which he initially suspected was a hoax or disinformation campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump with Easter bunny at 2017 Easter egg roll
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Blasted After Turning Annual White House Easter Tradition Into Corporate Grift

President Donald Trump has sparked concerns from ethics experts after soliciting corporate sponsors for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

Potential sponsors of the April 21 event were presented with three sponsorship options ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, according to a nine-page guide reviewed by The New York Times.

Keep ReadingShow less