Freida Maffaden revealed her true identity as Sarah Cohen
9 april 2026 в 20:13
Freida Maffaden, the author of the book «The Handmaid», - has decided to reveal her true identity. Now that her work has become a global success and inspired a popular film featuring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, Freida has announced her real name: Sarah Cohen.
«I am at a stage in my career where I am tired of it being a secret», - Sarah, who is also a doctor, told USA Today in an interview in April 2026. «I'm tired of people debating whether I actually exist or if I’m three men. I’m a real person with a real identity, and I have nothing to hide».
This is not the first time Freida has discussed her other career. As the popularity of «The Handmaid» grew, the writer shared details about her medical career in a previous interview with Today.
Here’s what you need to know about Sarah, also known as Freida, and her life outside of «The Handmaid».
Sarah, also known as Freida, studied mathematics at the prestigious Harvard University. She then attended Stony Brook University to pursue a career in medicine. However, she never abandoned creative writing. It was during these years that Sarah developed a strong work ethic, creating and publishing fictional stories.
Her first novel, «The Devil Wears Medical Scrubs», - was loosely based on her real-life experience as a medical intern.
Sarah is a doctor specializing in treating brain diseases. She stopped working full-time in 2023. Now she works only one or two times a month, the New York native reported in her April 2026 interview with USA Today.
«But I stepped back from my work», - she noted.
Sarah chose a lifestyle similar to Hannah Montana, separating her careers and identities because she was not ready to «step away» from her work as a doctor and did not want her published works to «affect» her medical practice.
«I just realized that I was completely overwhelmed trying to juggle everything», - she told USA Today. «My goal was to keep this a secret until I was ready to step away from my medical work so that it wouldn’t be the case that everyone I work with suddenly found out, and it wouldn’t affect my ability to do my job».
Sarah even wears a wig, although that’s only because she «doesn't know how to style her hair».
«Even though I haven’t revealed my real name until now, I feel like I’ve always shared my true self with my readers, and everything I told them was true», - explained Sarah, also known as Freida. «While the name will be a surprise, nothing else will be. I have always been sincere with my readers»
«I am at a stage in my career where I am tired of it being a secret», - Sarah, who is also a doctor, told USA Today in an interview in April 2026. «I'm tired of people debating whether I actually exist or if I’m three men. I’m a real person with a real identity, and I have nothing to hide».
This is not the first time Freida has discussed her other career. As the popularity of «The Handmaid» grew, the writer shared details about her medical career in a previous interview with Today.
Here’s what you need to know about Sarah, also known as Freida, and her life outside of «The Handmaid».
Sarah, also known as Freida, studied mathematics at the prestigious Harvard University. She then attended Stony Brook University to pursue a career in medicine. However, she never abandoned creative writing. It was during these years that Sarah developed a strong work ethic, creating and publishing fictional stories.
Her first novel, «The Devil Wears Medical Scrubs», - was loosely based on her real-life experience as a medical intern.
Sarah is a doctor specializing in treating brain diseases. She stopped working full-time in 2023. Now she works only one or two times a month, the New York native reported in her April 2026 interview with USA Today.
«But I stepped back from my work», - she noted.
Sarah chose a lifestyle similar to Hannah Montana, separating her careers and identities because she was not ready to «step away» from her work as a doctor and did not want her published works to «affect» her medical practice.
«I just realized that I was completely overwhelmed trying to juggle everything», - she told USA Today. «My goal was to keep this a secret until I was ready to step away from my medical work so that it wouldn’t be the case that everyone I work with suddenly found out, and it wouldn’t affect my ability to do my job».
Sarah even wears a wig, although that’s only because she «doesn't know how to style her hair».
«Even though I haven’t revealed my real name until now, I feel like I’ve always shared my true self with my readers, and everything I told them was true», - explained Sarah, also known as Freida. «While the name will be a surprise, nothing else will be. I have always been sincere with my readers»
© Puhova Marina
