Best-selling The Housemaid Author Freida McFadden Unveils Her Real Identity
One of publishing’s longest-standing enigmas has been unraveled as Freida McFadden, the acclaimed American author behind the hit thriller The Housemaid, disclosed her actual name to the public. Known to millions for her gripping novels, McFadden had long kept her real identity under wraps, though she never hid her dual role as a medical professional.
McFadden, who has authored 29 books, topped the UK best-seller charts in 2025 with three titles, including The Housemaid. The novel, first released in 2022, was adapted into a film last year featuring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. In 2025, she ranked second in UK book sales, with 2.6 million copies sold, and six million printed copies in the U.S. Only Julia Donaldson, the creator of The Gruffalo, surpassed her in overall sales that year.
From Doctor to Author: A Pseudonym Born of Humor
Sara Cohen, the author’s real name, first adopted the pen name Freida as a playful nod to her medical field. The name came from the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database, a humorous inside joke for her as a resident doctor. She began self-publishing in 2013 with The Devil Wears Scrubs, a fictionalized account of her life in medicine.
“I’m at a point in my career when I’m tired of this being a secret,” Cohen explained in an interview with USA Today. “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.”
While working as a neurologist in Boston, Cohen continued writing, eventually shifting focus to psychological thrillers. She maintained two separate identities for years, fearing her patients might feel uneasy about being treated by a bestselling author. “At work, I want to be a doctor,” she said in 2024. “A lot of my books have medical stuff in them, and I don’t want people saying, ‘Is this based on me?’ It feels unprofessional.”
Her dual life also fueled social anxiety. “It’s not just about privacy but also about social anxiety,” Cohen told the Washington Post in 2024. “My success as an author had escalated fears that I might not be ‘that amazing person that everyone expects you to be.'”
Cohen’s decision to reveal her identity came after stepping back from her medical career. She now works part-time, only once or twice a month, allowing her to share her true name without compromising her professional life. “My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was ready to step away from my doctor job,” she said. “But I have stepped away, and it’s easier now to reveal who I am.”
Despite the revelation, Cohen still hopes her fans will embrace her pen name. “Even though I haven’t told my real name until now, I feel like I’ve shared the real me all along,” she said. “Everything I’ve told them has been the truth. The name will be a surprise, but nothing else will. I’ve always been genuine with my readers.”
In a twist of irony, her secret was nearly exposed earlier this year when a colleague recognized her in a Freida McFadden photo. “The cat is out of the bag,” she admitted to the Times. “But they’ve been really respectful about not posting anything about me on social media, and I tried to repay them with a book signing at work.”
Cohen also joked about her public appearances as Freida, noting she wears a wig during events simply because “I have no idea how to style my hair.” Yet, the revelation marks a new chapter for her, blending her medical expertise and literary passion into one identity.
