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‘America’s most hated mum’ spent 13 years in hiding and was forced to wear a disguise in public

Home> Entertainment> TV

Updated 11:27 13 Mar 2025 GMTPublished 11:00 13 Mar 2025 GMT

‘America’s most hated mum’ spent 13 years in hiding and was forced to wear a disguise in public

I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story follows 'America's most hated mum' who gave birth to 14 children

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

A woman who was once known as 'America’s most hated mum' spent 13 years in hiding after giving birth to the world's first surviving octuplets.

Natalie 'Nadya' Suleman - commonly referred to as 'Octomom' - was already a mother of six when she had 12 embryo IVF treatments that allowed her to give birth to eight more children on 26 January, 2009 - bringing her brood to a total of 14.

Despite carrying eight babies at once, she shockingly claimed that the pregnancy had 'zero complications' - even though her swollen stomach was that big, it broke her ribs before she went into labour.

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New docuseries I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story documents events from the mother-of-14's own perspective. Take a look at a sneak peak below:

Following immense backlash when she went public with her controversial journey to motherhood, the California resident went back to her 'old profession as a therapist working 40 hours a week' in 2013.

Ahead of the docuseries on Lifetime, the 49-year-old told PEOPLE that taking her family out of the spotlight helped her deal 'with her social anxiety'.

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"Nobody knows - they look and they look away," she said.

"It doesn't draw any attention because people don't want to look and stare."

Natalie also would go out head-to-toe in protective clothing to not only shield herself from harmful UV rays, but people.

The mum of 14 had eight of her children at once thanks to IVF (Tiffany Rose/WireImage)
The mum of 14 had eight of her children at once thanks to IVF (Tiffany Rose/WireImage)

Natalie added: "The reality is I didn't take time to sit and feel and process emotion because that's when healing begins, when we sit in the pain and we sit in that uncomfortable feelings we don't want to feel, that's when we can start healing and growing and changing.

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"My family and I are taking our life back. That was really stolen from the tabloid media in particular.

"They tried to destroy me, but they didn't know. No one really knew anything about who we were as a family, who I am as a mother."

A film about Natalie's life, titled I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story, came out on 8 March, and saw Kristen Lee Gutoskie star as the controversial mother.

I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story follows 'America's most hated mum' (Lifetime)
I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story follows 'America's most hated mum' (Lifetime)

Then two days later, six-part documentary Confessions of Octomom released.

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"It's really sharing new experiences and new perspectives, and it gives new insights into the history and our present day life," she explained. "We are a loving family and we're there for each other. All of my kids are just very humble, grounded, kind people with good hearts

"I wasn't happy as an only child, and clearly I projected my dream onto my kids and wanting a big, well, not this big of a family, but I did want seven kids.

"But it's not enough to say I wanted a big family because I was lonely. There is an amalgamation of factors. I wanted kids to create maybe a safe and predictable little world that I lacked growing up. So then of course, I projected onto my future family."

I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story and Confessions of Octomom are available to watch on Lifetime.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Inside Edition

Topics: US News, TV, Parenting

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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@Anish_Vij

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