Ben Affleck posted a lengthy apology for his attempts to cover up a slave-owning ancestor in the PBS show 'Finding Your Roots.'
Ben Affleck is sorry for trying to hide the fact that he had a slave-owning ancestor!
In a posting on Facebook, Affleck expressed regret for getting PBS producers on the "Finding Your Roots" series to censor his ancestor's history as a slave owner.
Read: Whoopi Goldberg Reacts to Report That Ben Affleck Hid Slave Owners in His Family on PBS Show
Affleck explained, "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."
He continued, "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."
Affleck just tweeted, "Lot's of people have been asking who the guy was. His name was Benjamin Cole- lived in Georgia on my Mom's side about six generations back."
Lots of people have been asking who the guy was. His name was Benjamin Cole - lived in Georgia on my Mom's side about six generations back.
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) April 22, 2015
But there may be more to the story. INSIDE EDITION found another slave owner in Affleck's past.
It appears to be his uncle from ten generations ago, Ebenezer Strong Junior, who died in 1729.
And this excerpt from the Affleck family tree: "His negro boy was appraised at eighty pounds. He gives and bequeaths to his well beloved wife Elizabeth, his Indian slave Boston, alias George, to her..."
Affleck, who stars in the upcoming Batman Versus Superman: Dawn of Justice movie, went on to say how he persuaded the host of the series, famed Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Junior, to drop the slave history detail.
"I lobbied him the same way I lobby directors about what takes of mine I think they should use," Affleck said.
Read: '12 Years A Slave' Decendants Gather for Oscar Win
Affleck, one of Hollywood's leading liberal activists, concluded: "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."
