Ben Affleck Had PBS Edit His Documentary To Hide The Fact That His Ancestors Owned Slaves

(Source) — Ben Affleck insisted on censoring the fact that one of his ancestors owned slaves from PBS show “Finding Your Roots,” the Sony email hack has revealed. In a hacked Sony email from July 22, 2014, now available on WikiLeaks, the show’s host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., writes to Sony USA chief Michael Lynton asking for advice: “One of our guests has asked us to edit out something about one of his ancestors–the fact that he owned slaves. Now, four or five of our guests this season descend from slave owners, including Ken Burns. We’ve never had anyone ever try to censor or edit what we found. He’s a megastar. What do we do?” Lynton’s advice was to take Affleck’s family secret out of the show, as long as nobody would find out. The Sony chairman and CEO writes, “On the doc the big question is who knows that the material is in the doc and is being taken out. I would take it out if no one knows, but if it gets out that you are editing the material based on this kind of sensitivity then it gets tricky.” Gates, who is friends with Lynton and wrote “I need your advice,” goes on to admit that hiding facts would be a violation of PBS rules. “As for the doc: all my producers would know; his PR agency the same as mine, and everyone there has been involved trying to resolve this; my agent at CAA knows. And PBS would know. To do this would be a violation of PBS rules, actually, even for Batman.”

So I guess people are getting mad at Affleck over this? Umm I’d ask to hide that my family owned slaves too. It’s not like he threatened to sue the show or anything like that. Just asked for a little favor. Who doesn’t do that? Hey man, don’t tell that chick I farted. Hey dude, do me a solid and cover me for work today. Hey listen buddy, mind getting my back and not telling America that my family used to own black people? All the same. Some things are best kept a secret and participating in slavery is definitely one of them. Once that gets out everyone all of a sudden realizes you’re rich and then they start asking for free money or reparations or whatever you want to call it. No one wants to endure an hardship like that.

PS – Asking this dude to hide your family’s racist past is such a ballsy move. “Look Henry, I know you guys have done a real lot for the Affleck’s… but I need one more favor…”