Shivangi Sinha
In 2009, when Natalie Suleman AKA Nadya gave birth to octuplets, she became the center of intense media scrutiny and public backlash over her life choices. Already a mother of six at the time, many questioned her ability to provide for her children, especially since she was unemployed. The outrage was so extreme that she and her children even received death threats. Lifetime’s ‘I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story’ is based on her real-life experiences, and Natalie herself appears at various points throughout the film. In the production, Kristen Lee Gutoskie portrays her with remarkable grace and authenticity and brings her story to life with honesty and depth.
Natalie Suleman Was a Mother of Six When She Learned She Was Expecting Octuplets
On July 11, 1975, Angela Victoria Suleman and Edward Doud Suleman welcomed their first and only daughter in Fullerton, California. They named her Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman, but as she progressed through school, she began going by Natalie Denise Suleman and eventually made the name change official. Her mother worked as a school teacher, while her father, who was a Palestinian native, initially owned a restaurant before transitioning into real estate. Her parents eventually separated, but she maintained a good relationship with both. As a student at Nogales High School in La Puente, California, she excelled academically and envisioned a bright future for herself, just like any other student.
After completing high school, Natalie enrolled at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, where she trained to become a licensed psychiatric technician and earned a bachelor’s degree in Child Development. In 1996, her life seemed to be coming together when she married Marco Gutierrez. The couple enjoyed a few happy years, but in November 2006, Marco filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2008. They had been separated since 2000. Around this time, Natalie began working at a state psychiatric hospital but was forced to quit after sustaining a back injury during a patient riot. As a result, she received disability payments, which helped her get back on her feet.
Natalie always knew she wanted a large family and was determined to have children of her own. She claimed to have been in a relationship with a man named David Solomon at the time and said that the two initially tried to conceive naturally before ultimately turning to IVF. However, the legitimacy of her claims about the children’s paternity has been questioned. Under the care of Dr. Michael Kamrava, she gave birth to her first child, Elijah, in 2001. She went on to have five more children—Amerah, Joshua, and Aidan, as well as twins Calyssa and Caleb. In 2008, she felt the desire to expand her family again and underwent another round of IVF, using a set of embryos from her previous treatments. She was a single mother at this point.
Natalie Was Subjected to Extreme Public Trial After the Birth of Her Kids
During the procedure, a total of 12 embryos were transferred into Natalie’s uterus—an extremely unusual and risky decision. While Dr. Kamrava claimed he acted at Natalie’s insistence, she alleged he informed her the first batch of six embryos had been expelled, prompting him to transfer another six. This practice was highly unorthodox, and in 2011, the Medical Board of California revoked Dr. Kamrava’s license after investigating his actions in connection with the case of Natalie and a few others. It wasn’t until the end of her first trimester that she discovered she was carrying octuplets. On January 26, 2009, she gave birth to all eight babies at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, California. They became the first known set of octuplets to survive infancy. The six boys and two girls are named Noah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Maliyah, Jeremiah, Josiah, Jonah, and Makai, and they all share the middle and last names of Angel Solomon.
The period that followed was incredibly challenging for Natalie and her children. They found themselves at the center of a media frenzy, with the public harshly scrutinizing her decisions. While some accused her of having children to receive welfare benefits, others questioned why she chose to undergo IVF when she was already raising six kids and was unemployed. The backlash was overwhelming, and Natalie, now a mother of 14, began receiving death threats, making an already difficult situation even more stressful. During this time, her mother was very helpful, even though she was a little critical of her at the beginning. Her father also stepped up and publicly revealed that he had served in the Iraqi military. In an effort to provide for his grandchildren, he announced that he would be returning to work as a translator and driver.
Immediately after the birth of her octuplets, Natalie gave an interview to Ann Curry in February 2009. At the time, her children were still in the hospital, and she expressed concerns that the backlash she was facing could lead to her losing custody of them. Dubbed “Octomom” by the media, she had to hire publicists to manage her public image. In March 2009, Natalie purchased a home in La Habra, California, and by April 14, all of her children had been discharged from the hospital and were home with her. However, she struggled financially and admitted that making ends meet was becoming increasingly difficult. Reports emerged in April that she was set to star in a television show, but the project never materialized. In the same year, she also sued the hospital for breaching her medical records.
Natalie Worked in the Entertainment Industry to Support Her Family
In July 2009, Natalie Suleman signed an agreement with the Los Angeles Superior Court, stating that her children would earn $250 per day for participating in a reality TV series. She also made several media appearances, including an interview on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ In 2011, Natalie participated in Celebrity Boxing, and the following year, she posed for the cover of a UK magazine. That same year, she filmed an X-rated video, which garnered significant attention. She also starred in a few music videos and films and also released a single. However, by April 2012, she filed for personal bankruptcy, though the petition was later dismissed due to incomplete paperwork.
In October 2012, Natalie checked into the Chapman House Treatment Center, seeking help for various mental health disorders she claimed to be struggling with at the time. Her challenges continued, and in January 2014, the state of California accused her of welfare fraud for failing to report nearly $30,000 in earnings. By July 2014, she had pleaded no contest to a single misdemeanor count of welfare fraud. As a result, she was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, two years of probation, and a small fine.
Natalie Continues to Live With Her Octuplets and is a Doting Grandmother Today
After this period, Natalie chose to keep a relatively low profile. In a 2018 interview, she revealed that she had started working as a counselor while also doing international photoshoots. She openly acknowledged receiving public assistance for herself and her children and stated that she had been honest with them about her past, including her involvement in the adult entertainment industry. She currently resides in a three-bedroom home in Orange County, California, with her children and their two cats. Her octuplets turned 16 on January 26, 2025. Over the years, she has shared glimpses of their lives, including their commitment to a vegan lifestyle and her personal passion for weight training.
Natalie is also the primary caregiver for her son, Aidan, who has been diagnosed with severe autism spectrum disorder and requires daily assistance. In September 2024, she became a grandmother, marking another significant chapter in her life. Now feeling content and at peace, she has recently chosen to speak out again, hoping to inspire women who may be struggling to find strength within themselves. While she has expressed some regret about not taking legal action against her fertility doctor, she remains grateful to him for giving her the children she cherishes. She has emphasized that she loves her life and has no regrets about the choices she has made.
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