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Ben Affleck Admits Feeling 'Embarrassed' After Trying To Cover-Up Slave-Owning Ancestors

The Oscar winning actor didn't want his episode of the ancestral history show to show certain aspects of his past...

Ben Affleck has admitted he was "embarrassed" after he discovered he had a slave-owning ancestor, leading him to try and block documentary 'Finding Your Roots' from airing the revelation.

It was first discovered that the actor had such family history in the recent Sony email hacks, which saw Wikileaks publish messages in which Affleck tried to pursuade the producer of the show, which sees celebrities delve into their past, to not use revelations he was less than proud of.

In a lengthy statement on Facebook, Affleck wrote: "I felt embarrassed. The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth."

"I lobby directors about what takes of mine I think they should use. This is the collaborative creative process."

Affleck went on to explain: "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 added.

"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."

PBS has launched a full investigation into the situation, and you can read the full statement here.

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