Patricia Cornwell

==Personal life==

===Relationships===
On June 14, 1980, shortly after graduating from [[Davidson College]] in [[North Carolina]], she married one of her English professors, Charles L. Cornwell, who was 17 years her senior.<ref name="Mecklenburg County, NC Register of Deeds">{{cite web|url=http://meckrod.manatron.com/Marriage/SearchEntry.aspx|title=Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Web Access|work=manatron.com|access-date=June 20, 2015}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Professor Cornwell later left his tenured professorship to become a preacher. In 1989, the couple separated, with Patricia retaining her married name after the divorce.

In 2006, Cornwell married [[Staci Gruber]], an associate professor of psychiatry at [[Harvard University]].<ref name="Kidd">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/dec/07/patricia-cornwell-interview|title="I created a monster": Interview with Patricia Cornwell|journal=The Guardian|last=Kidd|first=James|date=December 6, 2008|access-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref> However, she did not disclose news of her marriage until 2007.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/11/26/bocornwell126.xml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128140400/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/11/26/bocornwell126.xml | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 28, 2007 | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=Patricia Cornwell: 'Finally, I feel rooted somewhere' | date=November 26, 2007 | access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref> Cornwell later stated that turning 50 had made her see the importance of speaking out for [[civil rights|equal rights]] and spoke of how [[Billie Jean King]] had helped her come to terms with talking about her sexuality publicly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.advocate.com/news/daily-news/2009/10/20/patricia-cornwell-out-40-million |title=''Interview with The Advocate'' October 20, 2009 |publisher=Advocate.com |date=October 20, 2009 |access-date=March 17, 2014}}</ref> She lives with Gruber in Massachusetts.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-12-01-patricia-cornwell_N.htm "Crime pays quite well for Patricia Cornwell"] ''USA Today'' December 3, 2008</ref><ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3669542/Patricia-Cornwell-Finally-I-feel-rooted-somewhere.html "Patricia Cornwell: 'Finally, I feel rooted somewhere'"]  November 26, 2007</ref>

Since childhood, Cornwell has been friends with the family of [[Evangelism|evangelist]] [[Billy Graham (evangelist)|Billy Graham]] and his wife [[Ruth Graham|Ruth Bell]], often serving as the family's unofficial spokesperson to the media.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201338.html|title=A Family at Cross-Purposes: Billy Graham's Sons Argue Over a Final Resting Place|first=Laura Sessions|last=Stepp|newspaper=Washington Post|date=December 13, 2006}}</ref>  She also wrote an authorized biography of Ruth Bell Graham. Cornwell was previously a personal friend of former President [[George H. W. Bush]], whom she referred to as "Big George", spending a number of weeks at the family's summer retreat in [[Kennebunkport, Maine]].{{cn|date=April 2024}}

===Health problems===
Cornwell has in the past suffered from [[anorexia nervosa]] and depression, which began in her late teens.<ref name = Times>{{cite news| url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/patricia-cornwell-when-i-was-outed-as-a-lesbian-i-didnt-leave-my-house-for-a-month-i-was-afraid-horrified-and-humiliated-35217938.html |title=Patricia Cornwell: "When I was Outed as a Lesbian I didn't leave my House for a Month - I was Afraid, Horrified, and Humiliated |website=Belfast Telegraph |date=November 16, 2016 |access-date=March 22, 2021}}</ref><ref name=tele-killer-queen>{{Cite news|author=Nigel Farndale |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/6560751/Killer-Queen-Patricia-Cornwell-Interview.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/6560751/Killer-Queen-Patricia-Cornwell-Interview.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Killer Queen: Patricia Cornwell Interview |publisher=Telegraph |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=March 17, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She spoke openly about her struggle with [[bipolar disorder]],<ref name=tele-killer-queen/> but in 2015 said that she was misdiagnosed.<ref name="Cornwell">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/patricia.cornwell/posts/10202752455965703|title=Facebook|last=Cornwell|first=Patricia|website=[[Facebook]]|date=January 24, 2015|access-date=January 24, 2015}}</ref>

===Political views===
Since 1998, Cornwell has donated at least $84,000 to the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] and $78,800 to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], and has made individual contributions to Republican and Democratic [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] candidates, including [[George Allen (U.S. politician)|George Allen]], [[John Warner]], [[Orrin Hatch]], [[Hillary Clinton]], [[Nicola Tsongas]], [[Charles Robb]], and [[Mark Warner]].<ref name="newsmeat">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Patricia_Cornwell.php |title=NEWSMEAT ▷ Patricia Cornwell's Federal Campaign Contribution Report |publisher=Newsmeat.com |access-date=January 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128010541/http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Patricia_Cornwell.php |archive-date=January 28, 2012 }}</ref>

Cornwell has spoken negatively of the [[presidency of George W. Bush]], saying, "I was supportive of young George W. Bush because I liked his family. I thought he was going to be another Big George. Boy, was I ever wrong. It's not a democracy so much as a theocracy, and those are not the principles this country was founded on."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/dec/07/patricia-cornwell-interview | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=I created a monster | date=December 7, 2008 | access-date=May 21, 2010 | first=James | last=Kidd}}</ref>

===Charity===
Cornwell has made several notable charitable donations, including funding the [[Virginia Institute for Forensic Science and Medicine]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.vcu.edu/article/Patricia_Cornwell_launches_Forensics_in_Literature_series |title=Patricia Cornwell Launches Forensic in Literature Series |last=Cichowski |first=Lorraine |date=March 1, 2002 |website=VCU News |access-date=March 21, 2021}}</ref> funding scholarships to the [[University of Tennessee]]'s National Forensics Academy and [[Davidson College]]'s Creative Writing Program (the result of which is the Patricia Cornwell Creative Writing Scholarship, awarded to one or two incoming freshmen), and donating her collection of [[Walter Sickert]] paintings to [[Harvard University]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/harvard-to-get-paintings-by-artist-controversially-linked-to-ripper/ |title=Harvard to Get Paintings by Artist Controversially Linked to Ripper |date=August 20, 2006 |website=The Chronicle of Higher Education |access-date=March 21, 2021}}</ref> As a member of the Harvard-affiliated [[McLean Hospital]]'s National Council, she is an advocate for psychiatric research.  She has also made million-dollar donations to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the Crime Scene Academy<ref>{{cite web |url=http://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/newsroom/1274.php |title=Patricia Cornwell, Internationally Known #1 New York Times Bestselling Crime Writer, Donates $1 Million to John Jay College of Criminal Justice - Gift Will Establish New Cutting-Edge Crime Scene Academy |date=February 15, 2008 |website=John Jay College of Criminal Justice |access-date=March 21, 2021}}</ref> and to the Harvard Art Museum.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://harvardartmuseums.org/about/press-media/patricia-cornwell-conservation-scientist-is-established-at-the-harvard-art-museums-straus-center-for-conservation-and-technical-studies |title=Patricia Cornwell Conservation Scientist is Established at the Harvard Art Museum's Straus Center for conservation and Technical Studies |date=November 19, 2008 |website=Harvard Art Museum |access-date=March 22, 2021}}</ref> She donated funds to the Richmond City Police Dept. and neighboring Henrico County Police Dept. to purchase bullet-proof vests for the police dogs. Cornwell is also a major contributor at the Five Star level to the Veterans Village of San Diego, with lifetime giving of more than $250,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/patricia-cornwell-1-bestselling-author-launches-america-for-vets-a-national-campaign-that-will-deliver-everyday-supplies-to-veterans-in-need-through-veterans-village-of-san-diego-vvsd-109906724.html |title=Patricia Cornwell, #1 Bestselling Author, Launches 'America For Vets,' a National Campaign that Will Deliver Everyday Supplies to Veterans in Need Through Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) |date=November 22, 2010 |website=Cision PR Newswire |access-date=March 22, 2021}}</ref>

===Hobbies===
Patricia received her private helicopter license in 1999.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.flyingmag.com/patricia-cornwells-rotor-research/ | archive-url=https://www.flyingmag.com/patricia-cornwells-rotor-research/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 31, 2022 | work=Flying Magazine | location=London | title=Patricia Cornwell’s Rotor Research' | date=March 31, 2022 | access-date=March 31, 2022}}</ref>