In 2009, Nadya Suleman (also known as Natalie Suleman) became a media sensation when she gave birth to the first surviving octuplets and was therefore dubbed the "Octomom." Along with fame, she received considerable backlash for having eight children at once, especially because she already had six children at home, was single, and was unemployed. The mom of 14 was protested, became a running joke in the media, and even received death threats. Additionally, the doctor who transferred the 12 embryos that resulted in her eight children—instead of the then-accepted maximum of three—eventually had his medical license revoked.
But those are just the basics. The story of Suleman was told over and over again at the time, with the controversial parent giving multiple interviews herself. Now, 13 years have passed, meaning that today Suleman has eight kids entering their teenage years—in addition to her her six older children. Read on to find out more about Suleman's life now, years after she first became a tabloid celebrity.
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The octuplets turned 13 this year.
The infamous octuplets—Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah, and Jeremiah Solomon—turned 13 on Jan. 26, 2022. (The children have the last name of their biological father, according to their mom.) Suleman marked their birthday on Instagram by sharing a photo of all of them when they were little.
"You are all growing into some of the most kind, humble, grateful and loving human beings I have ever known," Suleman wrote in the caption. "Each of you possess rare and unique characteristics, and are unlike any other child of your age, particularly in our society today. You are selfless, altruistic, nonmaterialistic, and loving, fearing, followers of God. I have never seen children who love and want to serve others, (particularly those less fortunate), so boldly and confidently like each and every one of you do. You are not followers of this shallow world, but of a God that created and loves you unconditionally. I do not know what I could possibly have done to deserve being blessed so bountifully."
Some of Suleman's six other children are adults now. Her oldest child, Elijah Solomon, is 21.
Suleman has worked in various fields.
s_bukley / ShutterstockBefore welcoming her children, Suleman had worked in a psychiatric hospital as a technician, according to NBC News. Around the time that she got pregnant with the octuplets, she had been in graduate school for a psychology degree. After welcoming the children, she was able to monetize her fame for a time, including with magazine covers and appearances. She was also in a pornographic movie and in the 2014 horror film 666: The Devil's Child.
"I was pretending to be a fake, a caricature, which is something I’m not, and I was doing it out of desperation and scarcity so I could provide for my family," Suleman told The New York Times in 2018. "I’ve been hiding from the real world all my life.” At that point, she was working full-time as a counselor.
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She faced legal issues.
In 2014, Suleman pleaded no contest to a charge of welfare fraud, as reported by USA Today, after failing to report extra income while receiving financial assistance from the state of California. She had to pay money back to the state and was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and two years of probation.
Two years prior, in 2012, Suleman had filed for bankruptcy. "I have had to make some very difficult decisions this year and Filing Chapter 7 was one of them," she told E! News. "But I have to do what is best for my children and I need a fresh start."
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She just celebrated her birthday.
Suleman shares updates about her family and home life on Instagram. For instance, she recently posted about her birthday celebration. Suleman turned 47 on July 11 and shared a video of her blowing out a candle on her cake, as well as photos of the food her children made for her.
"I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so much love," she wrote. "All 14 kids (plus a couple of my oldest kid’s [sic] significant others), wished me a happy 47th birthday this weekend. Then a few of my youngest 'chefs' surprised me with a homemade vegan marble cake, donut balls and lasagna…this is all that matters to me, family and the love we have for one another."
