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Bestselling Thriller Author Freida McFadden Reveals Herself as Boston Neurologist Sara Cohen

The reveal ends months of online rumors sparked by blockbuster sales plus a hit film adaptation.

Overview

  • In an interview with USA Today, the writer disclosed her real name as Sara Cohen and rejected claims that an AI or a team authored her books.
  • She confirmed she is a neurologist who treats brain injuries in the Boston area and said she used a pen name to protect her patients and her hospital job.
  • She said she has stepped back from full-time clinical work over the past two years to keep up with her writing career.
  • Her thrillers have sold in the millions, with reports citing about 10 million copies in the U.S. and 7 million in France, while the 2025 film of The Housemaid earned roughly $400 million on a $35 million budget and helped kick off sequels and an Apple TV+ project.
  • She noted she wears a wig but her glasses are real, and she plans to keep publishing under the name Freida McFadden.