We get his reasoning!

Ben Affleck has decided to speak out about the reports that claim he requested information about his slave owning ancestor be left out of his PBS episode of Finding Your Roots, and we have to admire his honesty and humility.

"After an exhaustive search of my ancestry for Finding Your Roots, it was discovered that one of my distant relatives was an owner of slaves. I didn't want any television show about my family to include a guy who owned slaves. I was embarrassed. The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth," he explained in a lengthy Facebook post.

That said, the A-list star doesn't think he did something overly deceptive, and insists participating in a voluntary TV program means you are allowed some flexibility with what makes it on-air.

"It's important to remember that this isn't a news program. Finding Your Roots is a show where you voluntarily provide a great deal of information about your family, making you quite vulnerable. The assumption is that they will never be dishonest but they will respect your willingness to participate and not look to include things you think would embarrass your family. 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. It is an examination well worth continuing. I am glad that my story, however indirectly, will contribute to that discussion. 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," he continued.

He's certainly well spoken!