The Suleman octuplets are all grown up.
Born to Natalie (formerly Nadya) Suleman, on January 26, 2009, Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah and Jeremiah – delivered in that order – have just celebrated their 16th birthday.
The special occasion also prompted the announcement that the family has collaborated with Lifetime on an upcoming movie and docuseries, respectively titled I Was Octomom and Confessions of Octomom, that will premiere in the US in March.
“My family and I are taking our life back,” their 49-year-old mum told People magazine of the projects.
“I’ve been saying, I want to keep them safe and protect my kids, and well, they’re older now. They’re turning 16 and making the decision to really do this.”
Did Octomum have IVF?
Suleman became famous after she underwent IVF in 2008, when she was a single mum-of-six, to grow her family.
Having already welcomed Elijah, Amerah, Joshua, Aidan and twins Calyssa and Caleb, but wanting just “one more”, she was implanted with 12 embryos by Beverly Hills fertility specialist Dr Michael Kamrava, becoming pregnant with eight babies.
Miraculously, all survived, making hers the first known surviving octuplets in the world.
Suleman was quickly given the moniker “Octomum”, as the public turned on her.
Questions were raised about her motives for undergoing the medical procedure when she was already struggling to get by.
“In the beginning, it was complete pandemonium,” Suleman explained of what sudden notoriety was like.
“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.”
What happened to the mum with eight babies?
To make ends meet while struggling to pick up work due to her fame and immense childcare responsibilities,
Suleman made some adult films and set up stories with the tabloids about her life, which often made her the butt of the joke.
“It wasn’t until they were maybe about 4 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,” Suleman said.
“I could escape and finally go back to the life I had once known before.”
Her many sacrifices have not gone unnoticed by her big brood, either, with daughter Nariyah sharing with People how supportive she is of her mother.
“My mum had to sacrifice – sacrifice her life, her friends, herself and her dignity – just so that she can take care of us,” Nariyah said.
“If any opportunity came that she’d finally be able to tell the truth, of course, I’d want to help my mum as much as I can because she helped us so many years.”
The teenager also revealed how she and her siblings also became targets thanks to their unusual family.
“There [are] some kids who would judge and ask inappropriate questions about our mum and show us pictures and stuff,” she said.
Despite the pitfalls of coming from such a large family, Nariyah explained that she loves having so many brothers and sisters.
“I always have someone to talk to, and I’m just never alone, which is a good and bad thing,” she said.
“But it’s very fun and it’s very lively, and I’m just happy. I have a big variety of people and different perspectives.”
Where is Octomum now?
Before collaborating on the upcoming Lifetime releases, Suleman had been living a life out of the spotlight after she stopped allowing her family to be used as tabloid fodder.
She spends most of her time at the gym or with her youngest children, who are home-schooled via a virtual instructor.
She also became a first-time grandmother in September 2024 when one of her sons – who has not been specified – welcomed a daughter.
“I’m not this compartmentalised caricature,” she said. “I am not Octomum, I’m a mum.”
