Camilla Jessen
Author behind The Housemaid steps into the spotlight.
A popular thriller writer known for keeping her life hidden has now chosen to speak openly. After years of secrecy, the author is sharing who she really is.
Freida McFadden, author of The Housemaid, has confirmed her real name is Sara Cohen. She shared the news in an interview with USA Today.
The writer said she was ready to stop hiding behind a pseudonym after more than two decades.
“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,” she added.
Life behind the name
The 45-year-old Cohen has been balancing her writing career with a job as a doctor treating brain disorders. She initially chose to remain anonymous to avoid issues at work.
She explained that her goal was to keep her identity private until she was ready to step back from medicine. Over time, however, colleagues discovered her secret and kept it quiet.
Speaking to USA Today, she also said her public appearances involved a disguise, including a wig, although she does wear glasses in real life.
Rumours and pressure
Her anonymity led to online speculation about who she really was. Some theories were far-fetched, including claims that multiple people were behind the books.
She addressed the rumors on Jenna Bush Hager’s Open Book podcast, saying: “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 also said: “One that’s very funny is people saying that I’m three men, and I think that’s hilarious.”
Keeping her identity secret meant missing out on book tours and reader events.
“It’s very hard,” she said, explaining she often felt she was letting fans down.
Even so, she plans to continue writing under the name Freida McFadden. She said she has always been honest with readers despite the hidden identity.
Her work is also moving onto the screen. The Housemaid has been adapted into a film, and a sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, is now in development.
Sources: USA Today, Open Book podcast
