The bestselling thriller writer known as Freida McFadden has ended years of speculation by revealing her real identity. The US author, who writes under a pseudonym and appears in public wearing a wig and glasses, has confirmed that her real name is Sara Cohen.
McFadden, whose novels include the smash hit The Housemaid, said in an interview with USA Today: 'I’m at a point in my career when I’m tired of this being a secret. I’m tired of people debating if I’m a real person or if I’m three men. I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide.' She added that she wears a wig only because she has 'no idea how to style my hair', and that she does in fact need glasses.
Cohen, 45, is also a doctor who treats brain disorders. She initially chose anonymity to keep her writing life separate from her hospital job. 'My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was [ready to] step back from my doctor job,' she explained. Her colleagues eventually learned of her double life but kept her secret. She has now reduced her medical work to occasional shifts, saying balancing both careers had become unsustainable.
Cohen lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and two children. She began publishing in 2013 with the self-released The Devil Wears Scrubs and found major commercial success with The Housemaid in 2022. She has written 27 novels and sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. Last year, The Housemaid was adapted into a film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, grossing almost $400m (£300m). A sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, is now in development.
Despite dropping the secrecy, Cohen will continue to publish under her pen name. 'Even though I haven’t told my real name until now, I feel like I have shared the real me all along,' she said. 'Even though the name will be a surprise, nothing else will. I’ve always been genuine with my readers.'
