Hit Author Freida McFadden Reveals Her Double Life

One of the world's most popular writers is stepping out from behind the wig. Freida McFadden, the bestselling author of The Housemaid and other suspense hits beloved by TikTok's BookTok community, has disclosed to USA Today that she is actually Sara Cohen, a physician who treats patients with brain disorders. Cohen, who has long worn a red-haired wig to mask her appearance, says her pseudonym and low-key disguise were required to keep her hospital job and writing career separate. But she now says living a double life left her exhausted.

With The Housemaid movie out, a second film in the works, and her medical schedule pared back to a shift or two a month, she decided it was time to drop the secret, which she says colleagues eventually found out and helped keep quiet. "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," says the prolific author of 29 novels, who sold six million print books in the US last year, per the BBC. Cohen emphasizes that she wants to remain "Freida" to readers and insists the only new twist is her name. "Even though the name will be a surprise, nothing else will," she says. "I've always been genuine with my readers."