Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Celebrated Their Marriage On An 'Imitation' Plantation

The mansion, located just south of Savannah, Georgia, once belonged to Affleck’s ancestors, who owned slaves. The details of the property were suppressed until Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. exposed its history on the PBS show Finding Your Roots, Page Six reports.

According to the Boston Globe, Affleck issued an apology in 2015 after the public learned that he was hoping for PBS to censor the details about his ancestors.

“I didn’t want any television show about my family to include a guy who owned slaves. I was embarrassed,” he said in a statement, according to Boston Globe. “The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth. … I regret my initial thoughts that the issue of slavery not be included.”

Leslie Harris, a professor of history at Northwestern University, bashed Affleck for trying to hide the details.

“When he discovered who his ancestors were, he tried to squelch it,” Harris told Page Six. “It’s clear he didn’t learn his lesson. We’re back at the same place with him. People still build houses that are plantation-style. It’s a sign of wealth. It’s surprising that Affleck would choose this place for his wedding when many (historic) plantations have stopped even having weddings.”

Affleck first saw the land when he filmed the 1999 movie Forces of Nature at the location. The Hollywood star then brought the property for $7.11 million.

After trying to sell the mansion for $8.9 million in 2018, Affleck lowered the price to $7.6 million the next year. However, the actor later took the property off the market.

According to the Daily Mail, the former plantation includes an unmarked slave graveyard somewhere on the property. The mansion includes four bedrooms, five bathrooms and balconies overlooking a river. Additionally, the property features two other structures known as the Summer Cottage and the Oyster House.