For years, readers have only known bestselling author Freida McFadden by her pen name. Now, she's shared her real name, Sara Cohen, and has exclusively shared with TODAY.com a photo of herself, without her signature wig. In a statement, McFadden says, in part: "Earlier this week it became clear to me that the mystery around my real name was taking on a lore of its own and I decided it was time to share it. Given that so many authors publish under pen names, I’m astonished by the response to my real name. I’m a very private person and will stay that way, but I have been so honored by the outpouring of love and support ... Now that the truth is out there, I want my readers to know that I will still be publishing books as Freida McFadden. It has always been my intention to entertain people and that is what I will continue doing as long as you keep reading. For now, I will go back to making myself scarce and writing more plot twists, the fictional kind!!" McFadden had previously told Jenna Bush Hager on the Open Book with Jenna podcast why she chooses to write under a pseudonym. “I never for a moment considered not writing under a pen name. I just wanted to keep it separate,” McFadden explained. 📸 : Freida McFadden #FreidaMcFadden