The author of one of the world’s biggest thriller franchises has emerged from the shadows, revealing his true identity for the first time after more than two decades of carefully guarding it.
Freida McFadden, the pseudonym behind The cleaning lady and a series of domestic thrillers, told The United States today that it is in fact Sara Cohen, a doctor specializing in the treatment of brain disorders.
The revelation, published Wednesday, April 8, ends years of speculation about the author’s very existence as a real person.
“I’m at a point in my career where I’m tired of it being a secret. I’m tired of people wondering if I’m a real person or if I’m three men,” she told the outlet.
“I am a real person, I have a real identity and I have nothing to hide.”
For more than two decades, McFadden hid his identity by using a wig and glasses during his public appearances.
The glasses, she clarified, are something she actually wears in daily life, the wig simply because she has “no idea” how to do her own hair.
Many of her patients turned out to be fans of her novels without ever realizing she was the author, and her colleagues, she said, were “very kind” in keeping it a secret.
The decision to come forward now comes down to a change in his professional life.
“My goal was to keep this a secret until I was ready to step away from my job as a doctor, so that it wouldn’t be like everyone I work with suddenly knew and it would compromise my ability to do my job,” she explained.
“But I quit my job. I only work once or twice a month.”
The pressure of maintaining both lives had also taken its toll. “I just realized I was completely overwhelmed trying to do both,” she said.
The timing also coincides with an important moment for the franchise.
Last year The cleaning lady The film, starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, brought his work to a vast new audience, with a second film currently in production.
Although she is now known as Sara Cohen, McFadden said she would still like to be referred to by her pseudonym in the literary world.
And she made it clear that while the name might be new information, everything else about her public persona was authentic.
“Even though I haven’t revealed my real name until now, I feel like I’ve been sharing my true self all along and everything I’ve told them is the truth. Even though the name will come as a surprise, nothing else will. I’ve always been sincere with my readers.”
