The mystery behind one of thriller fiction’s most closely guarded secrets has finally been solved.
Freida McFadden, the bestselling author of The housemaidhas revealed that her real name is Sara Cohen, a New York-born doctor who spent years keeping her identity hidden to protect her medical career.
McFadden shared the first photo of her real appearance Today.com on Monday wearing a lab coat with the name Sara Cohen on it, accompanied by a pair of glasses.
She explained that the decision to come forward came as the secrecy surrounding her identity began to take on a life of its own.
“It became clear to me that the mystery surrounding my real name was taking on a lore of its own, and I decided it was time to share it,” she said.
The 45-year-old had kept her identity hidden for years, publishing under a pseudonym while working as a brain disease doctor.
Her reasoning was practical.
“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 shared. USA today in an interview on April 8.
She confirmed that many of her colleagues had already found out, but had been quietly keeping her secret.
The online speculation had occasionally turned more pointed, with some people online claiming to know her real name and threatening to reveal it.
McFadden was remarkably relaxed about it.
“It made me laugh because it’s not like I’m in witness protection! I just always wanted the focus to be on my books, not my identity,” she said.
She added that she has been “surprised” by the public reaction since coming forward. “I’ve read so many comments saying, ‘This is the plot twist I needed!’ which has made me smile.”
Despite the revelation, she has no plans to stop writing as Freida McFadden.
“It’s always been my intention to entertain people, and that’s what I’ll continue to do as long as you keep reading,” she said.
McFadden published his first book, The devil wears scrubsin 2013, but that was it The housemaid in 2022, making her a household name.
The novel was recently adapted into a film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, which grossed nearly $400 million at the worldwide box office. A sequel,
The housemaid‘s Secret, starring Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst, is already in development.
