The Housemaid author Freida McFadden reveals real name after years of secrecy and conspiracy
The author said she was “tired" of keeping her real identity a secret
The bestselling author behind The Housemaid has revealed her real identity after years of mystery and online speculation.
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Freida McFadden, known for a string of hit domestic thrillers, has confirmed her real name is Sara Cohen — saying she is now “tired of this being a secret”.
McFadden, who has built a huge following with novels including The Housemaid, had used a pseudonym, along with a wig and glasses in public, to keep her writing life separate from her medical career.
Outside of the publishing world, Cohen is a doctor who treats brain disorders.
She originally adopted a pen name because she did not want her success as an author to interfere with her work in hospital.
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Cohen said the secrecy was never meant to become a major mystery, but as her profile grew, so did questions about who she really was.
Speaking about the decision to finally go public, she said: “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.
"I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide.”
She added: “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.”
Cohen stopped working full-time in late 2023 and now says she only works “once or twice a month”.
She also revealed that colleagues who eventually discovered her identity were supportive and kept her secret, with many of them already readers of her books.
Explaining why she stepped back from trying to balance both careers, she said: “I just realised I was completely overwhelmed from trying to do both.”
Her decision to reveal her name comes as interest in her work continues to rise, with the first Housemaid film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried enjoying major success at the box office after opening in December 2025.
Despite the reveal, she says readers should still know her as Freida – insisting that while her name may be new to fans, her relationship with them has always been honest.
She said: “Even though I haven’t told my real name until now, I feel like I have shared the real me all along.”
The Housemaid was the best-selling book of the year on Amazon UK in 2024.