‘Housemaid' author shared why she revealed true identity

The mystery behind one of thriller fiction's most guarded secrets has finally been solved. 

Freida McFadden, the bestselling author of The Housemaid, has 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 with 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 started to take on a life of its own. 

"It became clear to me that the mystery around 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 under wraps for years, publishing under a pseudonym while working as a brain disorder doctor. 

Her reasoning was practical. 

"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 told USA Today in an interview on 8 April. 

She confirmed that many of her colleagues had already worked it out but had quietly kept her secret.

The online speculation had occasionally edged into something more pointed, with some people online claiming they knew 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 "astonished" by the public reaction since coming forward. "I've read so many comments saying, 'This is the plot twist I needed!' which have made me smile."

Despite the reveal, she has no plans to stop writing as Freida McFadden.

"It has always been my intention to entertain people and that is what I will continue doing as long as you keep reading," she said.

McFadden published her first book, The Devil Wears Scrubs, in 2013, but it was The Housemaid in 2022 that made her a household name. 

The novel was recently adapted into a film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, which took in nearly $400 million at the worldwide box office. A sequel, 

The Housemaid's Secret, starring Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst, is already in development.