The Housemaid author reveals her true identity after success of Sydney Sweeney film

The author of The Housemaid has revealed her identity after the book was adapted into a film.

Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried star in the Lionsgate adaptation of the psychological thriller which sees a young woman taking on a job as a maid at a rich couple's house.

But things take a dark turn as the relationships between the maid and the couple become increasingly blurred.

The film was a commercial success, grossing $400 million around the world from a budget of $35 million.

As for the book, this was written by author Freida McFadden, but it turns out that McFadden is not even her real name at all.

The author spilled the beans in an interview with USA Today, including revealing what her day job is.

She revealed her true identity (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Well, it turns out that when she's not writing bestsellers, her real name is Sara Cohen, and she's a doctor specialising in the brain. No big deal then.

The Housemaid was published back in 2022, and Cohen revealed that she stepped back from practising medicine for a year while it was being published.

Revealing why she decided to share her identity now, she said: “I’m at a point in my career when 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. I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide.”

At first, Cohen shared that she had attempted to keep her pseudonym a secret.

However, it wasn't long until her colleagues cotton on to the fact that they were actually working alongside someone who was both a doctor treating brain disorders and a bestselling author.

The cast of The Housemaid at the premiere (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Lionsgate)

Cohen explained that she wanted to conceal her identity because she was concerned about her writing affecting her job at a hospital.

“My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was [ready to] step back from my doctor job, so it wouldn’t be like everyone I work with suddenly knew and it compromised my ability to do my job,” she said.

Now, she says that she has 'stepped away' from the medical job, and is 'only working like once or twice a month'.

She said: “Even though I haven’t told my real name until now, I feel like I have shared the real me all along and everything I’ve told them has been the truth.

“Even though the name will be a surprise, nothing else will. I’ve always been genuine with my readers.”

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