Benedict Cumberbatch: How Barbados' slave trade history caused controversy surrounding British actor

Dr Strange starrer Benedict Cumberbatch's name has been dragged into a controversy related to his forefathers. The actor played the crucial role of William Ford, an enslaver in the Oscar-winning movie 12 Years a Slave. The actor's ancestors supposedly ran a sugar plantation with hundreds of enslaved people in Barbados in the 18th and 19th centuries.

What is the controversy around Benedict Cumberbatch?

The families of enslaved people who worked at the plantation of Benedict Cumberbatch's ancestors are now demanding reparations, and the actor can soon face legal action. The move comes after Barbados announced that it demanded compensation from the families who ran that sugar farmstead.

As per reports, the seventh great-grandfather of Benedict Cumberbatch ran a sugar plantation located in St. Andrew in Barbados in the year 1728 and allegedly made a fortune out of it. The estate kept 250 slaves until the country abolished slavery 100 years later.




When the plantation was forced closed, the Cumberbatch families were given £6,000 in reparations for losing their 'human property'. When adjusted to present times, the amount comes to around £3.6 million (Rs 35.95 Crore). Now, Barbados is demanding reparations from those involved in slavery.

The National Task Force on Reparation of Barbados campaigned for reparations from earlier colonial powers which profited from slavery, and Cumberbatchs are one of those.

FAQs:

1. Who is the other celebrity targeted by the Barbados government regarding reparation?
   British Conservative MP Richard Drax is facing demands to compensate for his ancestors' role.
2. What is the upcoming movie of Benedict Cumberbatch?
   The actor will be seen in the adventure comedy The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.