Bestselling Author Finally Reveals Identity After Decades of Secrecy [WATCH]

Author Freida McFadden, known for the bestselling novel “The Housemaid,” has revealed her true identity after more than two decades of writing under a pseudonym, as reported by Page Six.

In an interview published Wednesday, McFadden confirmed that her real name is Sara Cohen, a 45-year-old doctor from New York who has treated patients with brain disorders while simultaneously building a successful writing career over the past 23 years.

“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,” McFadden told USA Today.

“I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide.”

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For years, Cohen maintained anonymity by appearing publicly in disguise, wearing a wig and glasses during appearances.

She clarified that while the glasses were her own, the hairstyle was not.

“I have no idea how to style my hair,” she said, adding, “It’s so much more boring than anything that happens in my books.”

Cohen grew up in Manhattan and first published a novel, “The Devil Wears Scrubs,” in 2013.

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Her career as an author expanded significantly following the release of “The Housemaid” in 2022, which brought widespread attention and commercial success.

That success extended into film, with a movie adaptation of “The Housemaid” released last year starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried.

A sequel, “The Housemaid’s Secret,” is also in development. The increased visibility surrounding her work made it increasingly difficult to maintain her anonymity.

Cohen said she initially chose to separate her writing career from her medical profession to avoid complications in the workplace.

“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.

She reduced her medical workload in late 2023 and now works only once or twice a month.

Even before publicly revealing her identity, some colleagues had already figured out her connection to the books but did not disclose it.

“They were really nice about it,” Cohen said, adding that many coworkers were already fans of her novels without realizing she was the author.

She has since begun bringing copies of her books into the hospital.

Managing both careers proved challenging over time.

“I just realized I was completely overwhelmed from trying to do both,” she said.

Speculation about McFadden’s identity circulated online for years, with some theories suggesting multiple authors or even the involvement of artificial intelligence.

Cohen addressed the rumors during an appearance on “Open Book with Jenna Bush Hager.”

“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.”

Despite the success of her books, maintaining anonymity meant Cohen did not participate in traditional author promotions such as book tours.

“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.”

Cohen said her writing career was not initially intended to replace her work in medicine.

“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.”

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