Well That’s Awkward: Celebrities Whose Families Owned Slaves
Anderson Cooper
When you remember that Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt — one of the richest and oldest families in American History — it’s not surprising to hear that the Vanderbilts owned plantations as well as railroads.
What is awkward? The Vanderbilts owned the plantation where Michelle Obama’s ancestor Jim Robinson was a slave.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Did Benedict Cumberbatch agree to be in 12 Years A Slave to atone for the fortune his family made from slavery?
The Cumberbatch family were such prolific slaveowners that Benedict’s family advised him not to use his real name in acting for fear he’d be the target of reparations claims.
No lawsuits have come forward just yet. But NYC Commisioner Stacey Cumberbatch did dedicate a portion of her inaugural speech to her family’s history as being owned by the famous actors’.