Octomom has revealed for the first time how she has managed to support her 14 children as a single mother.
After giving birth to the world’s first surviving octuplets in 2009, Natalie ‘Nadya’ Suleman, 49, remember feeling overwhelmed while juggling motherhood, feeding her family and paying off her student loans.
In order to afford her expenses, Suleman said she participated in an X-rated adult film, did a nude photoshoot, worked as a stripper and signed up for paid interviews.
‘I’ve never wanted fame,’ she told People. ‘That’s a number one biggest misconception ever. I sued the hospital because they were the reason I ended up in the public eye.’
The media personality continued: ‘That said, I did whatever I needed to do to make ends meet. And that was shaming myself, sacrificing my integrity.’
She went on to say the life she was ‘leading was not only destructive’ but also very ‘dark.’
Octomom, Natalie ‘Nadya’ Suleman, revealed for the first time exactly how she has managed to support her 14 children as a single mother; seen in 2012
‘It was the antithesis of who I am as a person,’ she said.
In 2013, Suleman stepped out of the spotlight to find peace as she returned to her ‘old profession as a therapist working 40 hours a week.’
‘We were always struggling financially but in 2013 that was more than ever,’ she told the outlet. ‘I used my education. For years I was typecast as the welfare recipient, unemployed mother, all of which is wrong.’
After spending five years working to support herself and family, Suleman explained she had to leave her job to support her son, Aidan, who is profoundly autistic.
‘Aidan’s needs were becoming overwhelming,’ she said. ‘I’ve always been his only provider, but I never got paid. So in 2018, that’s when I started to get actually paid. It’s decent money, but it’s still nothing compared to what we need to make to be comfortable in life.’
Suleman also told People that she did not hide her past sex work from her children.
‘They know, they went through it with me,’ she said. ‘It’s a huge weight lifted off of all of them when I went back to who I was. We were struggling financially, but it was such a blessing to be able to be free from that. Those were chains.’
In January, her octuplets, Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah, and Jeremiah, all turned 16.
After giving birth to the world’s first surviving octuplets in 2009, the 49-year-old recalled money feeling particularly scarce as she juggled her students loans and feeding her family
In order to afford her expenses, Suleman said she participated in an X-rated adult film, did a nude photoshoot, worked as a stripper and signed up for paid interviews
Before giving birth to her eight youngest kids, she was already a mom of six children – Amerah, Calyssa, Elijah, Caleb, Joshua and Aidan
At this time, her eldest three, who are adults, have moved out while she resides with her other 11 kids in a three-bedroom townhouse apartment in Orange County.
Suleman also stated that she receives support from friends in her community and at church.
‘People at church have made a positive difference,’ she said.
The mother-of-14 also praised the generosity of one couple who offered her family to live at their place for ‘half the rent just because they’re good Christian people.’
Suleman went on to say her story is one of ‘strength, survival, and success despite all the odds against’ her.
In January, her octuplets, Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah, and Jeremiah, all turned 16
Before giving birth to her eight youngest kids, she was already a mom of six children to Amerah, Calyssa, Elijah, Caleb, Joshua and Aidan
‘There were so many false narratives that the public didn’t know what to believe,’ Suleman said. ‘They were fed erroneous information.’
Suleman debunked speculation that she was ‘unemployed’ and ‘on disability’ when starting her family.
She also shut down rumors that she received and used government assistance to undergo IVF.
‘That was a lie,’ Suleman insisted. ‘I did not use taxpayers’ money. I’d saved so much money working as a psychiatric technician at a state psych hospital. I saved well over a hundred thousand dollars.’
In addition to using all of her savings, she revealed that she also used ‘an inheritance close to $60,000’ to pay for her procedures.
‘I used all of that money. Instead of buying a house I bought in vitros,’ Suleman said. ‘It should have gone for my older kids. I also got student loans, but I paid for everything, period.’
