Freida McFadden is no longer keeping her real life under wraps.
One week after The Housemaid author revealed she is actually brain disorder doctor Sara Cohen, she unveiled her official doctor headshot along with an update on her life—including the big question of whether she has plans to keep writing under a pen name.
“Over the years, I have seen people online tease that they knew my real name and were going to tell everyone,” McFadden told TODAY.com in an interview published on April 13. “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. I write because I love doing it and I love sharing my work with my readers.”
Indeed, McFadden’s desire to keep her careers separate was initially why she chose to use a pseudonym for her books. She even went to extreme lengths to lead a double life, often wearing wigs and glasses while in her writer persona.
However, the Dear Debbie novelist —who stopped working in medicine full-time in 2023—recently felt she had to disclose the truth after years of fan speculation that she was hiding her real identity.
“Earlier this week it became clear to me that the mystery around my real name was taking on a lore of its own,” McFadden explained to Today, “and I decided it was time to share it.”
