#Socialites, get into this! After we reported on actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s family possibly owing reparations in connection to the Barbados Slave Trade, we’ve now learned that actor Edward Norton is related to Pocahontas and his ancestors owned slaves.
Actor Edward Norton Finds Out Pocahontas Is His 12th Great Grandma & Is Left Feeling ‘Uncomfortable’ After Learning His Ancestors Owned Slaves
Besides Benedict Cumberbatch, it looks like 53-year-old ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Glass Onion’ actor Edward Norton has an interesting ancestry as well!
The Oscar-winning actor recently did a little digging into his roots and not only found out that Pocahontas is his 12th great grandma, but that his ancestors owned slaves.
RELATED: Benedict Cumberbatch’s Family Reportedly Owes Reparations Over Connections To Barbados Slave Trade
While the Pocahantas news left the the actor a bit shocked and ready to learn more, the latter discovery about slaves left him feeling a little “uncomfortable.”
Recently, Norton appeared on PBS’ genealogical history show ‘Finding Your Roots.’ While there, it was uncovered that the actor is indeed a descendant of Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe.
The PBS show’s host, and historian, Henry Louis Gates Jr. sat down with Norton and told him, “You have a direct paper trail, no doubt about it, connecting you to your 12th great-grandmother and 12th great-grandfather, John Rolf and Pocahontas.”
Additionally, Norton also found out that his ancestors owned slaves. Gates Jr. tells the actor that his family owned a family of slaves. Norton is then shown a photo of a 55-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman, and five girls — aged 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Norton is asked, “Wha’s it like to see that?”
He replies, “The short answer is, these things are uncomfortable, and you should be uncomfortable with them. Everybody should be uncomfortable with it. It’s not a judgement on your and your own life but it’s a judgement on the history of this country. It needs to be acknowledged first and foremost, and then it needs to be contended with.”
Norton continues, “When you go away from census counts and you personalize things, you’re talking about, possibly, a husband and wife with five girls – and these girls are slaves. Born into slavery.”
Gates Jr. adds, “Born into slavery and in slavery in perpetuity.” Norton responds, “Yeah. Again, when you read, ‘slave aged eight,’ you just want to die.”
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