Freida McFadden, the American author behind the widely popular psychological thriller “The Housemaid”, has put to rest claims she is using artificial intelligence to write her books.
The claims stem from a list of conspiracy theories surrounding McFadden, including one that her books might be AI-generated due to their formulaic plots and another suggesting that she is a group of three men.
In a strongly worded statement, the 45-year-old said she recently stumbled upon an article about her online, and below it are comments accusing her of not only using AI but also admitting it.
“This is blatantly untrue… So I’m just going to be clear once and for all: I DO NOT USE AI TO WRITE MY BOOKS. I WILL NEVER USE AI TO WRITE MY BOOKS,” she wrote on Facebook on April 18.
Writing ‘a labour of love’
McFadden said she started writing at the age of nine — long before AI was a thing — and all she ever wanted was to get published someday.
Her dream came true in 2013, when she self-published her debut novel, “The Devil Wears Scrubs”, which is a fictionalised account of her experience as a medical intern.
“This has always been a labour of love for me, and the idea of farming it out in any way makes no sense to me. This is what I love doing!” she said.
“Would you get AI to do your hobbies for you? Maybe you could get AI to go on a cruise with your family? Maybe AI could eat that chocolate cake for you?”
She also took aim at critics questioning how she can release several books in a year.
“Writing more than 350 pages a year? Clearly AI, even though authors like Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, and Stephen King have been doing it for their entire careers,” she said.
McFadden has more than 30 books to her name, including three standalone thrillers and one novella published in 2025.
She also has at least four other books set to hit the shelves this year.
One of her notable works is 2022’s “The Housemaid”, which follows the story of a young woman who becomes a live-in maid for a wealthy couple with dark secrets.
It was adapted to the big screen, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried last year.
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Real identity no longer a mystery
McFadden’s Facebook post came more than a week after she revealed she had been using a pseudonym for 23 years.
In an exclusive USA Today interview published on April 8, she said her actual name is Sara Cohen, a physician specialising in brain disorders.
The novelist said she managed to lead a double life by wearing a wig and glasses in public.
And when her colleagues discovered her real identity, they agreed to keep it private, she added.
“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,” McFadden said in the phone interview.
“I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide.”
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