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Scientists reveal grim truth about why relatives separated at a young age are attracted to each other

Home> Entertainment> TV

Published 16:00 13 Jul 2024 GMT+1

Scientists reveal grim truth about why relatives separated at a young age are attracted to each other

The unsettling phenomena was touched on during Netflix's new series, The Man With 1000 Kids

Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper

Ever since the documentary The Man With 1000 Kids landed on Netflix, it has left viewers shocked by the bizarre case of super donor Jonathan Jacob Meijer.

Since it's premiere earlier this month, the three-part limited series has gone viral due to its revelation that one man was able to father an estimated 1000 children in the Netherlands and various countries across the world.

Among the major ethical implications that arose from Meijer's decision to make so many sperm donations across the world, one of the most shocking points to come out of the series was the idea of accidental incest.

The documentary revealed that one of the parents of a child fathered by Meijer had been left horrified to learn their child felt a strong connection to another child who turned out to be their half-sibling.

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The mother then explains that she was informed that this is due to a phenomenon known as 'genetic sexual attraction' which sees the individual attracted by the 'familiarity' they sense in a stranger.

"Children who haven’t been brought up together are more likely to get attracted to each other because they see some familiarities in the face of the sibling," Natalie - one of the mothers featured in the programme - said.

Meijer was responsible for one of the biggest cases of fertility fraud. (Netflix)
Meijer was responsible for one of the biggest cases of fertility fraud. (Netflix)

Psychologist Leslie Pate Mackinnon has since spoken to the Daily Mail about genetic sexual attraction, saying she has seen it happen firsthand and it is a 'very real' concern.

"Those people are having a very normal reaction to a very abnormal situation," she explained.

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"It's a confusion they're trying to make sense of but there's nothing that makes sense about meeting your mother, your father, or your sister when you're 40 and you've never laid eyes on them."

She continued: "What happens is that this person who's experiencing this becomes obsessed with the person - this is like an obsession you've never seen.

"The people describe it to me as being magnetised or not being able to get them out of my mind."

There are many genetic dangers to incest, as the parents' offspring are more likely to inherit recessive conditions. Meijer has admitted to fathering around 550 children, with estimates suggesting he could have up to 3000 babies.

This means that not only Meijer's children but also their offspring could be at risk of accidental incest.

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Most of Meijer's donations were made in the Netherlands. (Netflix)
Most of Meijer's donations were made in the Netherlands. (Netflix)

However, Meijer has since played down the concerns of accidental incest, telling LADBible that 'children would have the chance to know my identity'.

He has also suggested that his offspring could put a 'symbol' in their dating profiles to reveal themselves to unknown half-siblings.

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: Netflix, TV, Science

Brenna Cooper
Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper is a journalist at LADbible. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, followed by an NCTJ accredited masters in Journalism. She began her career as a freelance writer for Digital Spy, where she wrote about all things TV, film and showbiz. Her favourite topics to cover are music, travel and any bizarre pop culture.

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@_brencoco

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