Freida McFadden has revealed her real name, is actually Dr. Sara Cohen. She was born on May 1, 1980, and grew up in Manhattan. Freida McFadden is the author of the bestselling novel “The Maid,” whose 2022 novel was adapted into a 2025 film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, directed by Paul Feig. The story follows a live-in maid hired to work for a wealthy family with a big secret. The series has grossed $400 million worldwide.
With 9 million copies sold and the success of the film adaptation, “The Maid” is the first book in the series. The film adaptation was a resounding success. Paul Feig’s version.
She graduated from Harvard in 2001 and received her medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2005. She then completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford University.
She specializes in brain and spinal cord injuries and has worked at institutions such as the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Boston.
She initially considered following in her father’s footsteps in psychiatry, but opted for physical medicine and rehabilitation. Her medical colleagues discovered her secret when a doctor recognized her photograph, but they supported her and kept the information private.
Since then, she has brought copies of her books to the hospital, where many staff members turned out to be fans.
“I’m at a point in my career where I’m tired of this being a secret,” said the author, who has sold more than six million books. “I’m tired of people debating whether I’m a real person or three men. I am a real person, I have a real identity, and I have nothing to hide.”
The 45-year-old doctor, who specializes in treating patients with brain and spinal cord injuries, had maintained complete anonymity for years while developing a successful dual career in medicine and writing psychological thrillers.
She wears glasses, although the hair she wears is a wig.
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“I have no idea how to style my hair,” she told the publication.
Cohen stopped practicing medicine full-time a year after the release of “The Handmaid” in 2022. By then, she had already written several novels. She now has dozens of published works, including three sequels to “The Handmaid.”
She commented that her colleagues had been “very kind” to keep quiet about McFadden’s story after discovering she was leading a double life.
“My goal was to keep it a secret until I was ready to leave my job as a doctor,” Cohen explained, “so it wouldn’t be like all my colleagues suddenly found out and it would affect my work performance.”
She joked that the revelation is “more boring than anything that happens in my books.” And she promised that not everything she had said was false.
“Although I haven’t revealed my real name until now, I feel I’ve always shared my true self and that everything I’ve told you has been true,” she said. “While the name will be a surprise, nothing else will be. I’ve always been honest with my readers.”
The film, based on the second book, “The Handmaid’s Secret,” with Sweeney reprising her role as Millie, will be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.
