Gwen Stefani's Latest Interview Draws Attention After Claiming To Be "Japanese"

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Gwen Stefani has found herself at the center of another cultural appropriation scandal. The "Hollaback Girl" singer recently sat down with Allure, where they discussed her 2004 Harajuku Lovers collection. The interviewer, who is of Asian descent, questioned Stefani about the collection to see if she had a new perspective on it almost 20 years later.

Stefani said her interest in Japanese culture began when her father would tell her stories about his time in Japan. She told the interviewer her thoughts on the first time she was able to travel to Japan. She said, "My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know it. I am, you know." Stefani attempted to defend her "appreciation" for the culture. She said, "[It] should be okay to be inspired by other cultures because if we're not allowed then that's dividing people, right?" The reporter recalled feeling uneasy throughout the interview as Stefani continuously claimed she was Japanese. At one point, the singer said she was "a little bit of an Orange County girl, a little bit of a Japanese girl, a little bit of an English girl."

Stefani, who again is of Italian-American and Irish-American descent, is not Japanese, per Page Six. According to the outlet, the following day a representative for Stefani reached out claiming the interviewer "misunderstood what Stefani was trying to convey." Allure asked for "clarification" for the comments made, but Stefani and her team refused to make any more statements or set up another interview.

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