• James Patterson has apologised for making racist statements about older white male writers.
• Patterson, a best-selling mystery author, commented on elderly white writers.
• The author has sold nearly 450 million volumes.

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Following the publication of this interview in The Sunday Times last week, the author faced online reaction, prompting him to issue an apology on Facebook on Tuesday.

“I regret for claiming white male authors having difficulty getting work is a sort of racism,” the author of Along Came A Spider stated.

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“I simply do not believe that racism is applied towards white authors,” he concluded. Please know that I am a staunch supporter of diverse perspectives being heard – in literature, in Hollywood, and elsewhere.”

For decades, the author has sold nearly 450 million volumes, including mysteries, non-fiction, and romantic novels, according to the BBC.