Nadya ‘Octomom’ Suleman recalled receiving “death threats” and making sacrifices after becoming a mother of 14.
In 2009, the 49-year-old California native made global headlines when she gave birth to the first surviving octuplets in history via invitro fertilization (IVF). At the time, Suleman was an unemployed single mother with six children.
During a rare interview with People magazine, Suleman opened up about the severe backlash she has faced over her life and parenting.
“In the beginning it was complete pandemonium,” she remembered. “There was, of course, all of the details of the death threats and fearing for my family’s life. And then, on the other hand, I had to continue to sacrifice my integrity repeatedly to survive and provide for my family.”
‘OCTOMOM’ NADYA SULEMAN SHOWS OFF GROWN-UP KIDS IN BACK-TO-SCHOOL SNAP: ‘BE PROUD OF YOURSELVES’
In order to support her brood of 14, Suleman starred in an adult film and worked with the tabloids on stories about her life. While speaking with People, Suleman reflected on struggling for years under intense public scrutiny after welcoming her octuplets.
“It wasn’t until they were maybe about four years old, I finally was able to escape all of that, the attack it felt from the world . . . and all that global scorn and condemnation, being the target of misplaced hate,” she said.
“I could escape and finally go back to the life I had once known before,” Suleman added.
Suleman said that she “paid for nannies” until the octuplets were two years old, but she was unable to afford long-term childcare.
“We were really struggling financially,” she explained. “Eventually, I just had to lean in really to my faith, my very strong faith in God. And it wasn’t until I did, that everything fell into place beautifully.”
Suleman also welcomed her six older children through IVF treatments and all 14 were fathered by a single unidentified sperm donor.
During an interview with the New York Times in 2018, Suleman said that she had been “misled” by her fertility specialist, Dr. Michael Kamrava, ahead of giving birth to the octuplets.
She claimed she had been pressured to consent to additional embryos during implantation by Kamrava, who had previously assisted her with conceiving her older children.
“He told me we lost six embryos, he said they were expelled out of me, and that’s why he wanted to implant another six,” she told the outlet.
‘OCTOMOM’ DOCTOR ACCUSED OF IMPLANTING 7 EMBRYOS IN NEW PATIENT
In January 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported that Kamrava had had his license revoked by the State Medical Board of California after acknowledging he had implanted 12 embryos into Suleman prior to the birth of the octuplets. The board also said Kamrava had treated two other patients negligently.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
“I’m sorry for what happened. When I look back at it, I wish I had never done it, and it will never happen again,” Kamrava said during testimony. When asked by his lawyer if he thought what he did was wrong, he responded, “At the time that I did it, I thought I did the right thing. When I look back at it, even with all those circumstances, I was wrong.”
The New York Times later reported that Kamrava had countered Suleman’s claim, saying she had pressured him. He later left the country after a failed medical board appeal in 2016.
Suleman’s story will be depicted in the upcoming Lifetime movie “I Was Octomom,” which stars Kristen Lee Gutoskie in the titular role and premieres on March 8.
“The movie follows my journey, starting with my decision to have one more IVF procedure to try to complete my family of six,” she told People. “I wanted only one more, to becoming a single mom of 14 and all the trials and tribulations, the challenges and struggles, what I had to do to continue to fight for my family.”
Following the movie, Suleman along with her children, who are speaking out publicly for the first time, will be featured in the Lifetime docuseries “Confessions of Octomom,” which will be released on March 10.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Suleman said that her octopulets including Noah, Josiah, Nariyah, Maliyah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Makai, all 15 years old, had chosen to participate in the docuseries. She also told People that her adult children — Ameerah, Calyssa, Elijah, Caleb, Joshua and Aidan — will be making appearances.
“My kids are going to share for the first time,” Suleman said. “Also, my older kids are speaking in the public eye, and they did not want to. And actually, I didn’t even want [to speak out], to be honest.”
“I’ve been saying I want to keep them safe and protect my kids, and, well, they’re older now,” she said of the octuplets. “They’re turning 16 and making the decision to really do this.”
“Today, my family and I are taking our life back,” Suleman added.
For her part, Nariyah told People that she was looking forward to the debut of the docuseries.
“I’m just very excited,” she said. “Our mom would finally be able to say her side of the story, because I feel like it was very unfair how she was terrorized and hated for just being a mother. And she had to sacrifice so much just for her children.”
While speaking with People, Suleman explained why she was motivated to step back into the spotlight.
“The main reasons for me in sharing my true story, my perspective, is to help people, to help women in particular who are struggling with one child or none, to maybe inspire them to pull out the strengths inside that they didn’t know they had, to progress forward, to keep progressing in their life,” she said.
Suleman told the outlet that she also wanted to clarify public misconceptions about her life.
“I’m not this compartmentalized caricature,” she said. “I am not Octomom, I’m a mom.”
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Stanton contributed to this report.
