CBS News: Sony E-mails Suggest Ben Affleck Hiding Family’s Slave Ties

O DONNELL Ben Affleck ░░░░░░░░ not responded to troubling ░░░░░░░░ from a set of ░░░░░░░░ e mails The messages ░░░░░░░░ the Oscar winner wanted ░░░░░░░░ censor a documentary on ░░░░░░░░ family history That s ░░░░░░░░ coming up clip starts ░░░░░░░░ MALE You are descended ░░░░░░░░ a patriot EVANS voice ░░░░░░░░ In a 2014 episode ░░░░░░░░ the PBS documentary series ░░░░░░░░ Your Roots Ben Affleck ░░░░░░░░ a great deal about ░░░░░░░░ family tree But according ░░░░░░░░ private Sony emails published ░░░░░░░░ week by Wikileaks he ░░░░░░░░ did not want the ░░░░░░░░ to reveal that one ░░░░░░░░ his ancestors owned slaves ░░░░░░░░ asked PBS to withhold ░░░░░░░░ information BELLONI Hollywood people ░░░░░░░░ that all the time ░░░░░░░░ realize the power and ░░░░░░░░ of their participation in ░░░░░░░░ and they use it ░░░░░░░░ leverage particular type of ░░░░░░░░ EVANS voice over In ░░░░░░░░ episode that aired Affleck ░░░░░░░░ about a relative who ░░░░░░░░ a soldier in the ░░░░░░░░ War AFFLECK This is ░░░░░░░░ big surprise and really ░░░░░░░░ and I m really ░░░░░░░░ of it EVANS voice ░░░░░░░░ But Affleck apparently asked ░░░░░░░░ to withhold information about ░░░░░░░░ slave owning ancestor and ░░░░░░░░ suggest it created an ░░░░░░░░ dilemma for PBS Last ░░░░░░░░ the show s host ░░░░░░░░ Gates Jr emailed Sony ░░░░░░░░ CEO Michael Lynton to ░░░░░░░░ for advice We ve ░░░░░░░░ had anyone ever try ░░░░░░░░ censor or edit what ░░░░░░░░ found He s a ░░░░░░░░ What do we do ░░░░░░░░ responded It is tricky ░░░░░░░░ it may get out ░░░░░░░░ you made the change ░░░░░░░░ it comes down to ░░░░░░░░ integrity And Gates later ░░░░░░░░ Once we open the ░░░░░░░░ to censorship we lose ░░░░░░░░ of the brand PBS ░░░░░░░░ Gates reviewed 10 hours ░░░░░░░░ footage for the episode ░░░░░░░░ made an independent editorial ░░░░░░░░ In a statement to ░░░░░░░░ News Gates says the ░░░░░░░░ chose to highlight other ░░░░░░░░ who had more interesting ░░░░░░░░ He points out that ░░░░░░░░ stars like Ken Burns ░░░░░░░░ Anderson Cooper both have ░░░░░░░░ owning ancestors that were ░░░░░░░░ on the show COOPER ░░░░░░░░ s shameful and I ░░░░░░░░ a sense of shame ░░░░░░░░ it EVANS voice over ░░░░░░░░ has yet to respond ░░░░░░░░ there s no clear ░░░░░░░░ whether the leaks will ░░░░░░░░ the reputation of the ░░░░░░░░ or PBS BELLONI It ░░░░░░░░ t make PBS which ░░░░░░░░ an enormous amount of ░░░░░░░░ and has a great ░░░░░░░░ brand it doesn t ░░░░░░░░ them look good EVANS ░░░░░░░░ over For CBS This ░░░░░░░░ Carter Evans.”
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