Well, this is a real pickle.
Famed author Jodi Picoult, 56, stunned fans this week when she revealed in a TikTok video how to properly pronounce her last name.
The native Long Islander has published more than two dozen novels, including “My Sister’s Keeper,” which was adapted into the 2009 hit film of the same name starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin.
But her fame hasn’t helped with the pronunciation of her name.
“Hey there, it’s Jodi,” Picoult says in the 34-second clip, which has been checked out by nearly a million viewers in just two days.
“I hear that since I joined TikTok, there has been a little bit of discussion about how to pronounce my name.”
The author noted, “You all get Jodi right, but you’re not too sure about the last half of it.”
Then came the plot twist. She declared her last name is pronounced “pico,” as in pico de gallo, holding up a jar of the salsa to emphasize her point.
In her video, the “Mad Honey” author debunked other pronunciations she’s heard people attempt.
She explained her last name is not “Pea-coat,” “Pea-cult” or “Pea-colt.”
Viewers were shocked by the novel idea.
“I’ve read like 20 of your books and have been saying it wrong this whole time,” one person proclaimed.
Another agreed, disclosing, “Omg Jodi! I’ve been a fan of yours since middle school and I’ve been pronouncing it wrong 😩.”
“And that’s why I always defaulted to the JP initials 😂 when I said it out loud,” someone else claimed. “Because I knew I was saying it wrong.”
One user even joked, “Ummm, I don’t [think] so. I’ve been reading your books for years. Maybe you’re saying it wrong! 😂.”
Speaking to the Daily Beast in 2012, Picoult admitted it was hard for her to break into the publishing industry.
Her first book, “Songs of the Humpback Whale,” was released in 1992.
“I had over 100 rejection letters from agents,” she confessed. “Finally, one woman who had never represented anyone in her life said she thought she could take me on. I jumped at the chance. She sold my first novel in three months.”
Some of Picoult’s other titles include “Wish You Were Here,”“Nineteen Minutes,”“The Book of Two Ways” and “Salem Falls,” which was adapted into a 2011 TV movie starring Sarah Carter and James Van Der Beek.
Her books often explore romance, relationships and family matters.
Picoult is not playing the name shame game alone. Recently, Adele and Brendan Fraser revealed we’ve been saying their names wrong too.
