The author behind one of the biggest thriller franchises in the world has stepped out of the shadows and revealed his true identity for the first time after more than two decades of carefully guarding it.
Freida McFadden, the pen name behind The housemaid and a string of domestic thrillers, have told USA today that she is in fact Sara Cohen, a doctor specializing in the treatment of brain diseases.
The revelation, made public on Wednesday, April 8, ends years of speculation about whether the author even existed as a real person.
“I’m at a point in my career where I’m tired of this being a secret. I’m tired of people debating whether I’m a real person or whether I’m three men,” she told the outlet.
“I’m a real person and I have a real identity and I have nothing to hide.”
For more than two decades, McFadden hid his identity by using a wig and glasses for public appearances.
The glasses, she clarified, are something she genuinely wears in everyday life, the wig was simply because she “has no idea” how to style her own hair.
Many of her patients turned out to be fans of her novels without ever realizing she was the author behind them, and her colleagues, she said, have been “really good” at keeping the secret.
The decision to come forward now comes down to a shift in her professional life.
“My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was ready to step down from my medical job so it wouldn’t be like everyone I work with suddenly knew and it compromised my ability to do my job,” she explained.
“But I’ve stepped away from my job. I only work once or twice a month.”
The pressure of maintaining both of their lives had also taken its toll. “I just realized I was completely overwhelmed trying to do both,” she said.
The timing also coincides with a significant moment for the franchise.
Last year The housemaid film, starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, brought her work to a large new audience, with another film currently in production.
Despite now being known as Sara Cohen, McFadden said she would still like to be referred to by her pen name in the literary world.
And she was aware that while the name may be new information, everything else about her public persona has been authentic.
“Even though I haven’t told my real name until now, I feel like I’ve shared the real me all along and everything I’ve told them has been the truth. While the name will be a surprise, nothing else will. I’ve always been real with my readers.”
