Kriti Mehrotra
While Jonathan Jacob Meijer is definitely a name that will go down in history for fathering hundreds of children across the globe, it’s imperative to remember he did so via sperm donation. Netflix’s ‘The Man With 1000 Kids’ actually makes this evident, all the while elucidating he apparently defrauded countless vulnerable families along the way by never revealing the true number of his biological children. However, his continued efforts soon reached such an extent he was sued over putting society at risk by increasing incestuous possibilities, resulting in a lifelong ban on his donating to new clients.
Jonathan Jacob Meijer Has Fathered At Least 550 Kids
It was in 2017 when Dutch native Jonathan first came into the limelight following an investigation by the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport for fathering 102 children in the nation. This number understandably shocked all the parents involved, leading them to question precisely how many kids he has helped conceive, only for experts to reach an estimation between 1000 and 3000, considering he’d been donating since 2007 through fertility clinics, international platforms, plus private donations. However, in court, Jonathan insisted he only has around 550 children — he apparently kept track of all the successful inseminations because he wished to be involved in the kids’ life if the parents allowed.
This number is one Jonathan has reiterated time and time again, all the while expressing that the 2023 court case didn’t really change anything for him because he’d stopped donating in 2019. According to his accounts, he was/has been continuing to help just previous donees conceive siblings, and the verdict explicitly only prohibits him from ever securing new clients, with the stipulation he’d be required to pay a €100,000 fine per new donation if he did so.
We should also mention Jonathan has since been very open about the fact his sole aim for going as far as he did was to help struggling parents build their dream families, which he believes he has done — he alleges he has helped around a total of 225 families across the globe. It’s also imperative to note that while he has no children of his own who are not from donations, he recently conceded, “The number I am 100% sure of is 550. The number has been growing a little bit, but I just say this is sort of a round number. It’s easy to remember. There have been more births… but not a lot – – 5, 6, 7, new births, and some are on the way.”
Jonathan Jacob Meijer Was Never an Anonymous Donor
Although many sperm donors prefer to stay anonymous, Jonathan has actually always preferred to be open about it while still ostensibly abiding by the parents’ wishes of whether they want the child to know him or not. Therefore, it turns out he is indeed involved in many of his biological kids’ loves in one way or another to this day, all the while using his YouTube channel as a guide for them to know who he really is and learn about new things. In fact, many believe that’s the motivation for this vlogger to upload videos comprising everything from his nature-loving life to parenting and financial advice to his experiences as a donor.
Jonathan recently even shared a video titled “IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL MY CHILDREN,” wherein he openly addresses all rumors and allegations swirling around him and voices he himself will never willingly block contact with any of his biological kids. He states communications were cut with those young ones whose parents were involved in the aforementioned court case, yet it was not just “unpleasant” for him but also not entirely his choice.
The parents thought he’s “somehow the bad guy,” Jonathan said, “and they said some really unpleasant things. And I don’t like verbal abuse, as nobody likes verbal abuse. For that reason, I blocked the contact with the parent,” which resulted in him going out of touch with the children too. He understands they are not his kids, but he also knows that familial history matters, so he wants them to know he didn’t abandon them and will be open to re-bond down the line if they wish.
Read More: Vanessa van Ewijk: Where is Jonathan Meijer’s Client Now?
