Ben Affleck has commented on the fact that he tried to stop a PBS documentary from including information that he had a slave-owning ancestor.
The story came to light when an email from Finding Your Roots producer Henry 'Skip' Gates Jr was uncovered on WikiLeaks which revealed that Affleck wanted the show to censor this aspect of his ancestor's past from the documentary.
Affleck has now commented on the controversy, saying that he did not want a TV show about his family to include a person who owned slaves, saying he felt "embarrassed".
In a statement on Facebook, Affleck said: "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."
Affleck continued: "Skip decided what went into the show. I lobbied him the same way I lobby directors about what takes of mine I think they should use. This is the collaborative creative process."
He added that he regretted his thoughts that his slavery past should be omitted from the programme, saying: "I regret my initial thoughts that the issue of slavery not be included in the story."
"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," he said.
Read Ben Affleck's statement in full:
After an exhaustive search of my ancestry for "Finding Your Roots," it was discovered that one of my distant relatives was an owner of slaves.
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.
Skip decided what went into the show. I lobbied him the same way I lobby directors about what takes of mine I think they should use. This is the collaborative creative process. Skip agreed with me on the slave owner but made other choices I disagreed with. In the end, it's his show and I knew that going in. I'm proud to be his friend and proud to have participated.
It's important to remember that this isn't a news programme. 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.
I regret my initial thoughts that the issue of slavery not be included in the story. 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. 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.
Ben Affleck
