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

Gwen Stefani is no stranger to controversy. "The Sweet Escape" singer has a long history of questionable career choices that many have deemed as cultural appropriation. According to Page Six, Stefani is of Italian-American and Irish-American descent. However, she was born and raised in California. Still, the artist made "fashion choices" that have appropriated various cultures.

In the 90s, Stefani had frequently worn a bindi. The bindi originated from India and has various meanings including, the "third eye" and marriage, per Hindu American. It has become a significant part of South Asian culture, so when Stefani wore a bindi, many called it inappropriate. Stefani sat down with Vogue to talk about her fashion choices, including wearing a bindi. She said, "I was just so unbelievably fascinated with Indian culture." The musician only continued appropriating cultures throughout the '90s, including South African culture, per Femestella. Stefani wore her hair in Bantu knots and cornrows, which caused major backlash.

Stefani also caused controversy for the 2005 "Luxurious" music video. The singer was copying the "Chola" culture that is credited to Latin Americans. Many believed the video was inappropriate as she surrounded herself with Mexican-Americans and wore clothing attributed to the Catholic religion. One of the No Doubt singer's biggest accusations of cultural appropriation came when she released her Harajuku Lovers collection in 2004, per Page Six. While many may have forgotten about the collection, her latest interview is rehashing the choice to appropriate the culture.

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.