Where is Natalie Suleman now? Details about Lifetime's I was Octomom subject, explored
Natalie Suleman, popularly known as "Octomom," became a household name in 2009 when she gave birth to octuplets after already being a mother of six. She is the first woman to have welcomed the first surviving octuplets in history. Suleman and her children live a quiet life in Orange County, California now.
Lifetime has adapted her story in its new movie, I Was Octomom, which premiered on the Lifetime channel on March 8, 2025. The film's synopsis reads:
"The movie follows Suleman’s journey starting from her decision to have one more IVF procedure to complete her then family of six, to becoming a mother of 14, having survived her life being torn apart by the tabloid media."
Who is Natalie Suleman, and where is she now?
Natalie Suleman, already a mother of six—Amerah, Calyssa, Elijah, Caleb, Joshua, and Aidan—welcomed octuplets named Noah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah, Makai, Maliyah, and Nariyah in 2009. Although she was unemployed at the time of their births, she soon turned to doing various odd jobs to support her family of 15.
Among the many things she did were nude photo shoots, pornography, and boxing, as per a report by People. However, Suleman stepped away from the spotlight in 2013 to protect her children and their privacy. Now, more than ten years later, she has decided to come forward to share her intriguing story with the world. According to Natalie Suleman, she was implanted with octuplets without her knowledge.
As per a People report, Dr. Michael Kamrava, a fertility specialist who was an expert in in-vitro fertilization and who had helped Suleman have her previous six children, implanted her with 12 embryos simultaneously in 2008. She alleged to The New York Times that Kamrava had "misled" her and that she did not want octuplets. His medical license was revoked in 2011, per a Reuters report dated June 2, 2011.
Out of the 12 implants, eight resulted in live births, and it took 46 doctors and nurses to perform a C-section when Suleman went into labor at 31 weeks of pregnancy. Although her babies were underweight, all of them survived. The father of Suleman's 14 children is a single sperm donor whose identity has not yet been disclosed.
Where is Octomom now?
Natalie Suleman used to work at a mental hospital before becoming a mother. But she got injured during a patient riot, as per the Associated Press, and used some of her subsequent disability payments to afford her IVF treatments.
After becoming a mother to 14 children, Suleman worked as a stripper and appeared in Celebrity Boxing, an X-rated video, and also a nude photoshoot to support her family. However, in April 2012, she filed for personal bankruptcy, and in January 2014, she was charged with welfare fraud, for which she was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service, as well as fines.
In 2018, Suleman told The New York Times that she had started working as a counselor and also occasionally did "international photoshoots" apart from using public assistance to earn money.
Recently, on January 26, 2025, Natalie Suleman's octuplets celebrated their 16th birthday. As per people, she and 11 of her 14 children live in a three-bedroom townhouse with their pet cats, Penelope and Mimi, in Orange County, California. Suleman spends most of her time with her kids, who help her cook and take care of the house.
She also has to devote extra time to caring for her disabled son, Aidan. Moreover, in September 2024, Natalie Suleman also shared on Instagram that she had become a grandmother. Apart from caring for her family, Natalie Suleman is also a fitness enthusiast. She exercises to deal with her stress and chronic pain.
Catch Natalie Suleman's story on Lifetime's I was Octomom.
