After leaked emails with Finding Your Roots host Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed Ben Affleck asked producers to mask the fact that one of his ancestors owned slaves, the actor explained where he was coming from and apologized for his regretful reaction in a post on Facebook.
“I didn’t want any television show about my family to include a guy who owned slaves. I was embarrassed. The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth,” said Ben, whose episode of the PBS show aired in January. “It’s important to remember that this isn’t a news program. Finding Your Roots is a show where you voluntarily provide a great deal of information about your family, making you quite vulnerable. The assumption is that they will never be dishonest but they will respect your willingness to participate and not look to include things you think would embarrass your family.”
In a statement from Louis posted yesterday, he said also said the show does not and cannot wholly represent what is discovered during the search.
“Ultimately, I maintain editorial control on all of my projects and, with my producers, decide what will make for the most compelling program,” he said. “In the case of Mr. Affleck — we focused on what we felt were the most interesting aspects of his ancestry—including a Revolutionary War ancestor, a 3rd great–grandfather who was an occult enthusiast, and his mother who marched for Civil Rights during the Freedom Summer of 1964.”
Although Ben added he now regrets lobbying producers to exclude the information about his slave-owning ancestor, he said the experience taught him a valuable lesson and he’s glad it started a conversation.
“We deserve neither credit nor blame for our ancestors and the degree of interest in this story suggests that we are, as a nation, still grappling with the terrible legacy of slavery. It is an examination well worth continuing. I am glad that my story, however indirectly, will contribute to that discussion,” he said. “While I don’t like that the guy is an ancestor, I am happy that aspect of our country’s history is being talked about.”
Do you think Ben’s apology is sincere?
