Freida McFadden revealed her real name is Sara Cohen after years of using a pseudonym and wearing a disguise
NEED TO KNOW
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Cohen is a doctor treating brain disorders and balanced her medical career with writing bestselling novels
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Despite revealing her identity, she plans to continue writing under her pen name and focus on her readers
Freida McFaddenis pulling back the curtain.
TheThe Housemaidauthor, who has long written under a pseudonym and appeared publicly in a wig and glasses to maintain her privacy, has revealed her real identity. In an interview withUSA Today, McFadden shared that her real name is Sara Cohen.
“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,” she said. “I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don't have anything to hide.”
Cohen, 45, is also a doctor who treats brain disorders, a role she has balanced alongside her writing career. While her public persona included a disguise, she clarified that she does wear glasses, though the hair seen in appearances was a wig.
“I have no idea how to style my hair,” she told the publication, adding that her real life is “so much more boring than anything that happens in my books.”
The author said she originally chose to use a pseudonym to avoid conflicts with her hospital job.
“My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was (ready to) step back from my doctor job, so it wouldn't be like everyone I work with suddenly knew and it compromised my ability to do my job,” she said.
Although she worked to keep her identity private, her coworkers eventually found out. According toMcFadden, they were “really nice about it” and kept her secret, with many unaware they had been working alongside the author. She has since started bringing her books into the hospital.
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The mystery surrounding her identity also sparked awave of online speculation. Speaking on the Dec. 11 episode of Jenna Bush Hager’sOpen Bookpodcast, McFadden addressed some of the rumors.
“Some of them are just so out there. Some of it is great. I think every author gets ‘AI is writing her books,’ even though most of them were written before AI,” she said. “One that's very funny is people saying that I'm three men, and I think that's hilarious.”
She also recalled one particularly unusual claim about her author photo. “I saw a post somebody made where somebody said that in my author photo, my cleavage was photoshopped,” she said, adding that the person even discussed the theory with his wife.
Maintaining her anonymity has also meant turning down opportunities to connect with readers. “It's very hard,” she said. “I see all these authors doing these huge book tours, which I never do, and I feel so bad that I never do it.”
Writing was never meant to replace her career in medicine, she explained in the podcast. “Some people go into writing hoping to quit their day job, but I didn't do it [for that reason]. I was just having fun,” she said. “I kept clinging to being a doctor because, first, I worked very hard to get there and I find it really rewarding. I love seeing patients and helping people.”
At one point, balancing both became overwhelming. “There was a moment, it was actually when I was writing the thirdHousemaidbook and I was moving simultaneously, and I was just losing my mind,” she said. “I was almost having panic attacks.”
Even with her identity now public, McFadden said she plans to continue writing 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 and everything I've told them has been the truth,” she said. “Even though the name will be a surprise, nothing else will. I've always been genuine with my readers.”
The author’s work has also expanded beyond the page.The Housemaid, which starsSydney SweeneyandAmanda Seyfried, was a major success, and a sequel,The Housemaid’s Secret, is in the works with Sweeney set to reprise her role alongsideKirsten Dunst. A release date for the follow-up has not yet been announced.
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