Edward Norton Discovers He Is a Descendant of a Slave Owner: 'These Things Are Uncomfortable'

Fight Club star Edward Norton recently discovered the “uncomfortable” fact that he is a descendant of a slave owner, and one particular detail of his family history makes him “want to die.”

In addition to being a descendant of a slave owner, Norton also discovered that he is directly related to Pocahontas, who is his 12th great-grandmother. The information came to light during the actor’s appearance in a recent episode of the PBS show Finding Your Roots.

During the episode, historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. presented Norton with a document revealing that his third great-grandfather, John Winstead, owned seven slaves.

“These things are uncomfortable,” Norton reacted. “And you should be uncomfortable with them. Everybody should be uncomfortable with it.”

“It’s not a judgment on your and your own life, but it’s a judgment on the history of this country,” the Primal Fear star added. “It needs to be acknowledged first and foremost, and then it needs to be contended with.”

The Golden Globe-winning actor was also shown a photo that included five young slave girls — ages four, six, eight, nine, and ten.

“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,” Norton reacted.

“When you read, ‘slave, age eight,’ you just want to die,” the American History X star added.

Gates also told Norton that he is a direct descendant of Pocahontas and Virginia settler John Rolfe, who were married in 1614.

“It makes you realize what a small piece of the whole human story you are,” Norton said, reacting to Pocahontas and Rolfe being his 12th great-grandparents.

But if Norton finds himself dwelling over the fact that one of his ancestors was a slave owner, he can take solace in knowing that another one of his third great grandfathers — who was also named Edward Norton — sided with the Union in the American Civil War and offered his services as a U.S. marshal in the fight.

“You want to try to prep yourself for having the nerve to do the same thing should a thing like that come along,” Norton reacted.

Gates added that this particular ancestor had also refused to help capture escaped slaves and even wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln, urging him to allow freed slaves to fight in the Union Army.

The series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. “divulges the family trees of various celebrities, many times with stunning revelations,” according to its IMDb page.

Not everyone, however, might want to partake in such a pursuit, as living in today’s woke, irascible society runs the risk of being forced to make amends for an ancestor’s past behavior, previously unbeknownst to the descendant, as well as everybody alive on earth.

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is familiar with this concept, as his family is now facing potential demands for reparations from Barbados over his ancestors owning a slave plantation on the island during the 18th and 19th centuries.

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