Freida McFadden is stepping out from behind the mystery that has followed her bestselling career for years.
The author of “The Housemaid,” who built a loyal fan base while keeping her identity hidden, has finally revealed the truth about who she really is.
Known for appearing in disguises and avoiding the spotlight, McFadden is now opening up about her real name, her life outside writing, and why she decided the time was right to stop keeping such a long-held secret.
Freida McFadden Reveals Her Real Name After Years Of Secrecy
Freida McFadden has confirmed that her real name is Sara Cohen, ending years of speculation about who she really is.
Speaking in an interview with USA Today, the author explained that she reached a point where she no longer wanted to keep hiding.
“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.
The 45-year-old added, “I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide.”
For years, McFadden maintained her privacy by appearing in public with a wig and glasses.
While she confirmed that she does wear glasses in real life, she admitted the hairstyle was not hers, joking, “I have no idea how to style my hair.”
She also shared that her real life is far less dramatic than her books, describing it as “so much more boring than anything that happens in my books.”
McFadden Balanced Writing Career With Life As A Doctor
Freida McFadden didn’t just hide her name, but also kept her writing life separate from her career in medicine.
The “Never Lie” author works as a doctor treating brain disorders, a role she continued while publishing bestselling novels.
According to McFadden, using a pen name was originally meant to protect her work life.
“My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was (ready to) step back from my doctor job,” she said, noting that she didn’t want her identity to interfere with her responsibilities at the hospital.
Despite her efforts, her coworkers eventually discovered the truth. According to McFadden, they handled it well and respected her privacy.
Many of them had no idea they had been working alongside a bestselling author. Now, she has become more open about her writing and has even started bringing her books into her workplace.
Freida McFadden Addresses Wild Rumors About Her Identity
Over time, McFadden’s secrecy has led to plenty of speculation online, with some theories becoming especially unusual.
However, during a December 2025 appearance on Jenna Bush Hager’s “Open Book” podcast, she spoke about the rumors that surrounded her identity.
“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,” McFadden said per PEOPLE.
One rumor that stood out to her was the claim that she wasn’t one person at all. “One that’s very funny is people saying that I’m three men, and I think that’s hilarious,” she added.
She also recalled a strange discussion about her author photo, in which someone claimed that parts of the image had been edited. The speculation, while unusual, became part of the mystery that followed her career.
At the same time, staying anonymous meant missing out on opportunities to connect with readers.
“It’s very hard,” she admitted, explaining that she often felt bad about not doing book tours like other authors.
McFadden Opens Up About The Pressure Of Managing Two Careers
Freida McFadden also spoke about the challenges of balancing her writing success with her medical career.
She explained that writing was never meant to replace her job as a doctor. “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.
The best-selling author added that she remained committed to medicine because she worked hard to achieve it and found it meaningful, adding that helping patients continued to be an important part of her life.
However, managing both careers eventually became overwhelming. “There was a moment, it was actually when I was writing the third Housemaid book and I was moving simultaneously, and I was just losing my mind,” she said, admitting she was “almost having panic attacks.”
Despite now revealing her identity, McFadden plans to continue using her pen name. She explained that even though her real name is now public, she has always been honest with her readers.
Her work continues to grow as well. “The Housemaid” has already been adapted into a film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, with a sequel, “The Housemaid’s Secret,” currently in development, and Sweeney expected to return alongside Kirsten Dunst.
Freida McFadden’s ‘112-Year-Old’ Wikipedia Glitch Leaves Fans Stunned
In 2024, McFadden left fans both confused and amused after a bizarre Wikipedia error listed her as being over a century old, sparking jokes that she might be “immortal.”
As The Blast reported, the “Tenant” author, who was actually born in 1980, reacted to the mix-up on social media.
She shared a screenshot of her biography on Instagram, showing that she was born on May 1, 1912.
McFadden accompanied the image with a funny caption that read, “Seriously, Wikipedia, you need to do better! 112 years old?? I know I didn’t get enough sleep last night and might look a bit tired, but I don’t think I look a day over 110!”
Fans couldn’t hold back their laughter, and in no time, the comments section was filled with funny reactions.
One person wrote, “Brain still sharp after all these years! LOL wonderful!” Another added, “Are you immortal?” while a third person joked, “But it’s on the internet! It must be true!!”
Thankfully, the error has since been corrected on Wikipedia.