James Patterson apologizes for saying white writers face ‘form of racism’

Crime novelist James Patterson issued an apology Tuesday after making a previous claim that older white male writers are having difficulties booking work due to racism.

In an interview with the UK’s Sunday Times published this weekend, Patterson said that “white older male writers” aren’t getting hired for “writing gigs in film, theatre, TV or publishing” right now — claiming the phenomenon is “just another form of racism.”

“What’s that all about?” Patterson added, according to the New York Times. “Can you get a job? Yes. Is it harder? Yes. It’s even harder for older writers. You don’t meet many 52-year-old white males.”

The 75-year-old later backtracked his comments in a Facebook post, saying he supports diversity in the writing industry. “I apologize for saying white male writers having trouble finding work is a form of racism,” he wrote.

Patterson added, “I absolutely do not believe that racism is practiced against white writers. Please know that I strongly support a diversity of voices being heard—in literature, in Hollywood, everywhere.”

In the article from the Times, the longtime writer also condemned his publisher’s 2020 decision to drop Woody Allen’s memoir over sexual assault allegations. “I hated that,” Patterson said in the piece, according to the Washington Post. “He has the right to tell his own story.”

Patterson’s comments come days after he released his new memoir, “James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of My Life.”

Patterson has sold more than 450 million books across 20 or so titles during his nearly 30-year career — most notably, the neo-noir book series following Detective Alex Cross, later played by actor Morgan Freeman in 1997’s “Kiss the Girls” and its 2001 sequel, “Along Came a Spider. Patterson will also produce the upcoming film “Run Rose Run,” based on the book he wrote with country music legend Dolly Parton, 76.