Singer and actress Janet Jackson’s recent comments about Vice President Kamala Harris’s ethnicity have sparked heated reactions online.

Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, is expected to face former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, in November.

However, with both candidates seeking to appeal to voters from the black community, Harris’ ethnic identity has become a constant topic of conversation, as if elected, she would be the first black American and the first South Asian to lead the U.S. presidential race.

Harris, who has long been proud of her mixed-race heritage, was born to Indian and Jamaican immigrants. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother. She has said her mother deliberately raised her and her sister as black because they were worried about how the world would view them.

In an interview with The Guardian On Saturday, Jackson, the younger sister of singer Michael Jackson, spoke about her career, her family and the election when she was joined by Nosheen Iqbal, presenter of The Guardian‘S Today in focus Podcast about Harris being about to be elected the first black president.

“You know what they supposedly said? She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Native American. Her father is white. That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t seen the news in a couple of days,” she coughs. “I was told that they found out her father is white,” Jackson said.

Iqbal disagreed, saying, “Harris has a dual heritage, I say, and given this moment, does Jackson believe America is ready for her?”

Jackson, however, distanced himself from the question: “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t want to answer that because I really don’t know. I think there’s going to be chaos no matter how it turns out. I think there could be chaos. No matter how it turns out, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Newsweek has emailed Harris’ campaign team for comment.

Since Jackson’s comments, some have criticized the singer on X (formerly Twitter) for not doing enough research before commenting on the issue.

X-user Leah wrote: “Janet Jackson is one of the most influential people in music history. It was simply irresponsible of her to repeat something she ‘heard’, which is exactly what they are using against Kamala! Her own race. There are less than 50 days until the election. We need to talk smarter!”

Journalist Yashar Ali wrote on X: “It is clear that Janet Jackson has read things in the dark corners of the internet and that makes me very sad.”

TV host and X-user Brandon Pope TV wrote: “We have a disinformation crisis in America. And it was created and fueled with the intent to sow distrust. It’s unfortunate that someone as well-known as Janet Jackson would parrot this, but it’s a reminder of how far-reaching this can be.”

Meanwhile, X-user Asa Khalif commented: “Still love @JanetJackson.”

Jackson’s remarks come after Trump sparked outrage in July when he questioned Harris’ black identity during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention.

“I didn’t know she was black until she accidentally became black a few years ago, and now she wants to be known as black. I respect both of them, but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Native American all along, and then suddenly she made a turn and became black.”

His comments were condemned by many, including White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. During a briefing with reporters, Jean-Pierre said the former president’s questioning of Harris’ ethnic identity was “repulsive” and “insulting.”

Jackson’s comments also come less than a week after Harris spoke to a three-person panel of journalists at an NABJ event on Tuesday and was asked about young black male voters who may feel left out by the current economic climate and support her opponent.

According to a poll released last week by the NAACP, the overall result was 63 percent approval for Harris, while Trump received only 13 percent approval among black voters. However, the gender gap is clear. While Harris remains strong among black women at 67 percent, her approval drops to 49 percent among black men under 50.

Harris responded, “Black men are like any other voting group. They have to earn their vote. I am working to earn the right to vote, not assuming I would get it because I am black, but because my policies and perspectives demonstrate what we must do to address the needs of all communities.”