Housemaid Author Freida McFadden Shares Life Update After Name Reveal

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Freida McFadden is no longer keeping her real life under wraps.

Just a week after the author of The Housemaid shared that she is actually a doctor specializing in brain disorders named Sara Cohen, she released her professional headshot and gave a life update—addressing whether she intends to continue writing under a pseudonym.

As a long-time fan, I’ve heard whispers online about people claiming they knew the author’s real name and threatened to reveal it. It always struck me as a bit silly – she’s not hiding from anyone! She’s always made it clear she wants people to focus on her stories, which is amazing, not on who she is. She’s said herself that she writes because she genuinely loves it and wants to share that passion with us, her readers, and that’s what truly matters.

McFadden originally used a pen name for her books because she wanted to keep her writing separate from her other career. She was so committed to maintaining this separation that she actively created a second identity, even disguising herself with wigs and glasses when she was working as an author.

The author of Dear Debbie, who left her full-time medical career in 2023, recently revealed her true identity after years of fans guessing.

McFadden told Today that the speculation about her true name had become a story in itself, so she decided to reveal it.

It’s surprising to me how people have reacted to learning my real name, especially since so many authors use pen names,” the 45-year-old explained. “I value my privacy and plan to keep it that way, but I’m truly grateful for all the kind words and support. I’ve been cheered by comments like ‘This is the twist I didn’t know I needed!’

Look, I know she appreciates everyone reading her stuff, but honestly, don’t even bother trying to find out her actual name. She’s sticking with McFadden, and that’s all we’re getting, and honestly? That’s perfect. It just adds to the mystery, you know? She’s McFadden, and that’s all that matters!

Now that the secret is revealed, I want everyone to know I’ll continue writing books as Freida McFadden. My goal has always been to provide entertainment, and I plan to keep doing that as long as you enjoy reading them.

Ugh, she just said she’s going back to hiding and dreaming up more crazy stuff to happen in the story! Like, more twists and turns that will absolutely wreck us all – but in the BEST way, obviously! She quickly added it’s the fictional kind, thank goodness, because honestly, at this point, anything feels possible with her! I’m already on the edge of my seat!

The author of the international bestseller The Devil Wears Scrubs, first published in 2013, revealed her identity to USA Today on April 8th. She explained that she wanted to remain anonymous until she left her job as a doctor, so her colleagues wouldn’t find out and it wouldn’t affect her work.

Over the years, a few of her hospital coworkers learned who she really was, but they promised to protect her secret. Now that she’s retired from medicine, McFadden felt comfortable finally revealing her story.

The author, who will be releasing her new novel Divorce in May, expressed frustration with recent speculation about her identity. “I’m a real person with a genuine identity, and there’s nothing to hide,” she said. While her name may be unexpected, she assured her readers that everything else about her will be authentic, as it always has been.

McFadden isn’t alone – many celebrities actually use stage names! Here are some other stars who’ve changed their names.

Congratulations to Post Malone! He actually added his last name to his stage name. But he prefers his friends to call him by his given name.

At the 2024 MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift called her co-winner “Austin” after they won the award for Best Collaboration for their song “Fortnight.”

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, who played Lilly on Modern Family, now goes by Frances Anderson. She made the name change to reflect her new career as a musician.

In a 2025 interview with TopMob News, Aubrey explained that ‘Frances’ is actually her middle name, a tribute to a longtime friend of her mother. She added that she preferred it because it was shorter than her full, hyphenated last name, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons.

Dakota and Elle Fanning, the sisters, both decided to use their middle names when they began their careers in Hollywood.

Elle explained that since their mother used her middle name, the sisters decided to follow suit.

She remembered feeling embarrassed during roll call at school. “They’d call ‘Mary?’ and kids would respond that there wasn’t a Mary present,” she told Glamour in 2016. “I’d have to awkwardly raise my hand and say, ‘It’s me.’”

The Summer House star shocked Bravo fans by revealing his legally given first name isn’t actually Carl.

“My driver’s license and passport both say William,” explained Carl, a veteran of all nine seasons of the reality show, in an August 2025 interview with PopViewers. “But my middle name is actually Carl, and I’ve always gone by Carl since the beginning.”

Sterling K. Brown went by his middle name Kelby until he was a teenager.

During an April 2025 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, he explained that his father is Sterling Brown Jr. and his grandfather is Sterling Brown Sr. He decided he wanted a name of his own, feeling that ‘Sterling’ sounded too old-fashioned.

My heart ached when I learned that years after losing his dad to a heart attack, the actor decided to go back to using his first name. It was such a beautiful way to remember and honor his father, and it really touched me. It felt like a really personal and meaningful tribute.

My father died when I was ten years old. By the time I was sixteen, it had been five or six years since anyone had said his name, and I just wanted to hear it again. That’s why I started asking people to call me Sterling.

The winner of Traitors revealed on TopMob’s Hot Goss that his full name is Nicholas Dylan Harrison Efron, but he goes by Dylan. He explained that because Nicholas is his first name, everything else gets shifted up a position, making Harrison his middle name now.

Brothers Andrew, Matthew, and Joey Lawrence all decided to change their last names professionally. Joey, whose middle name is Lawrence, was the first to make the switch, prompted by feedback from a talent agent who didn’t like their family name.

Kat Dennings started using a professional name when she was just nine years old, long before she appeared on an episode of Sex and the City in 2000.

Kat Dennings, known for her role on 2 Broke Girls, explained to Kylie Kelce on her podcast Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce that she prefers not to have her birth name publicly advertised, like on a poster.

The actress chose her stage name by combining elements from two sources: the character Kat, played by Christina Ricci in the movie Casper, and the last name of Janine Denni, the wife of author Lloyd Alexander, who was a close friend of her mother.

For over thirty years, Cher thought her full legal name was Cherilyn. However, when she requested her birth certificate in the late 1970s to legally change her name to simply Cher, she found out she was originally registered as Cheryl.

In her 2024 memoir, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, the singer Cher wrote about how her mother, Georgia Holt, reacted when she found out.

When she told her mother, who had her at 19, about something, her mother replied, “Let me see that!” Then, remembering her own experience after giving birth, she said, “I was just a teenager myself, and I was really hurting. Cut me some slack.”

The country artist known as Shaboozey got the nickname because of a spelling error on his high school records in Virginia. He eventually made it his official stage name.

The singer first released music under her real name in 2001, but she decided to use the stage name Katy Perry—taken from her mother’s family name—hoping it would appeal more to pop music fans.

Cardi B got the nickname “Bacardi” because her sister was playfully called “Hennessy” by friends and family. She later decided “Cardi” was a better fit for her.

Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was briefly known as Rachel. 

Shania Twain revealed how she got her stage name during a recent interview on Apple Music’s Home Now Radio. Born Eilleen Regina Edwards, she was later adopted and became Eilleen Regina Twain. When she started singing professionally, she needed a stage name that didn’t sound too much like her grandmothers’, as both her first and middle names – Eilleen and Regina – came from them. She didn’t want to be called her grandmother’s name on stage, so she chose Shania Twain. She had met someone named Shania and loved the name, and that’s how her stage name was born.

Okay, so Chappell Roan? She’s just… everything. But what people don’t get is that her whole stage thing isn’t just a performance, it’s how she protects herself. It’s always been this incredible ‘drag project’ for her, a way to create space between the real her and the crazy world of being a musician. It’s like, ‘Chappell Roan’ gets to be on stage and deal with all that, and it leaves me alone, you know? It’s brilliant, honestly. It’s how she sets boundaries and keeps her personal life, well, personal.

You know, it’s funny how nicknames come about! I learned that Gigi Hadid actually got her famous name back in school. Her teacher kept mixing her up with another student named Helena, so Gigi – who her mom always called ‘gigi’ at home as a sweet little thing – just asked the teacher to call her Gigi instead. And it totally stuck! It just goes to show, sometimes the simplest solutions are the best, and a little family nickname can turn into something really big.

If you’re looking for an explosive action-star name, how about Vin Diesel instead?

Miley Cyrus earned the nickname “Smiley” as a child because of her cheerful grin. Over time, the name was shortened to Miley, and that’s what everyone started calling her.

The singer resembled a Bruno more than a Peter, so his father began calling him Bruno, and that name stuck. He’s been known as Bruno Mars ever since.

Before the meat dresses and chart-topping music, Lady Gaga was just an everyday girl from New York.

Oh my gosh, did you guys hear? It’s the most adorable thing ever! Jason Sudeikis revealed on Today that his real first name is actually Daniel – named after his dad! But apparently, there was another Daniel in the family, so to avoid mix-ups, his mom just started calling him Jason, which is his middle name! I mean, can you even imagine? Jason Sudeikis is actually Daniel! It’s just… perfection.

Emma Stone chose her stage name because someone else was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild under her real name.

Interestingly, Reese Witherspoon’s first name isn’t actually her middle name. She was named Reese after her mother’s family name.

Every artist creates a different public image, and for Lana Del Rey, that image is simply herself – she performs as who she truly is.

In 2014, Frank Ocean legally changed his name because, why not? 

Many fans don’t realize that Tina Fey, the creator of 30 Rock, was actually born Elizabeth. She playfully honored her given name by naming her iconic character on the show, Liz Lemon.

This pioneer of West Coast rap would later go on to be known as Snoop Dogg.

It seems the singer known as Lorde developed an interest in nobility, which is why she chose that name – but added an ‘e’ to make it feminine.

Let me tell you a fun fact! Before everyone knew him as the incredibly charismatic Ricky Martin, he actually went by a different, much more common name. It’s amazing to think about how stars begin, isn’t it? Sometimes, the biggest personalities start with the simplest beginnings.

It’s hard to believe that Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly!

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2026-04-13 21:18