Gwen Stefani Declares “I’m Japanese” in Controversial Interview

Gwen Stefani is under fire after a making a bold statement. 

In a new interview with Allure regarding her beauty brand GXVE, Gwen reflected on the launch of her first beauty line, Harajuku Lovers fragrance, which was inspired by Japan’s Harajuku culture. While discussing the collection—which some have criticized as blatant cultural appropriation—Gwen doubled down on her decision, going as far as to say that she is Japanese, despite having an Italian American father and Irish American mother.

“That was my Japanese influence and that was a culture that was so rich with tradition, yet so futuristic [with] so much attention to art and detail and discipline and it was fascinating to me,” Gwen told the outlet, reflecting on the influence her father’s frequent travels to Japan had on her.

When she finally visited Harajuku herself, Gwen shared that she had an epiphany of sorts: “I said, ‘My God, I’m Japanese and I didn’t know it.'”

She added, “I am, you know,” while describing herself as “super fan” and claiming her ties to Japanese culture were laced with “innocence.”

“If [people are] going to criticize me for being a fan of something beautiful and sharing that, then I just think that doesn’t feel right,” Gwen continued. “I think it was a beautiful time of creativity… a time of the ping-pong match between Harajuku culture and American culture.”