Ben Affleck asked PBS to edit slave-owner relatives out of show on his family history

Leaked Sony emails revealed Ben Affleck requested information about a slave-owning relative be removed for his episode of the “Finding Your Roots” series.

The email appeared in the leak because Henry Louis Gates Jr. was writing to Sony USA chief Michael Lynton asking for advice.

In part the email read: “We’ve never had anyone ever try to censor or edit what we found. He’s a megastar. What do we do?”

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. a Harvard Professor told Boston.com: “Ben Affleck’s ancestor’s story just wasn’t as interesting as the others that made the cut,” Gates added. “And so we decided to go with a story about his ancestor following the Civil War instead. It made for a much stronger story arc.”

http://boston.suntimes.com/bos-entertainment/7/119/150088/ben-affleck-slaves-pbs/