Ancestry.com issues apology following controversial ad

Ancestry.com has issued an apology following a controversial ad.

The popular DNA testing company has pulled the ad amid a backlash from viewers who say it whitewashed the violent history of slavery.

A portion of the ad depicts a white man proposing to a black woman in the South.

He urges her to escape with him to the North, where they can be together.

The ad was meant to encourage African Americans to submit DNA to track their heritage, but critics pounced on the message, which suggested that slaves became willingly and romantically involved with slave owners.

In reality, they say biracial children born at that time were often the result of sexual assault.

Ancestry.com apologized, saying it appreciates the feedback and regrets any offense it caused.