Here's What the Octomom Looks Like Now

Once upon a time, the world was obsessed with a woman — a very special woman who did something nobody ever expected... She got pregnant with octuplets! Twins are rare enough, and anything more than triplets is usually breaking news. But everyone was shocked when mom-to-six Nadya Suleman announced she was expecting eight children at once! That's eight whole babies to lug around for nine months.

If you weren't around in 2008, then you're probably wondering what the big deal is. Sure, she had octuplets, which is incredibly uncommon, but if you didn't witness the Octomom phenomenon first had, you might never truly understand the obsession. You just had to be there! But we'll try to catch you up on Nadya's life and where the mom of 14 is doing today. And if you already know and love Octomom, this is the perfect refresher on why you kept up with her life in the first place!

Long before she ever became a mother, Natalie AKA Nadya Suleman lived her childhood alongside her parents Angela and Edward in Fullerton, California, during the mid-70s and 80s. Born to a Lithuanian schoolteacher and a Palestinian realtor, Nadya graduated both high school and college in her home state, earning both a psychiatric technician license and a B.S. in child development. 

Knowing what we know now about Nadya and her love for kids, it's not a surprise she chose to study child development. In fact, she enjoyed children and studying childhood psychology so much that she worked at a mental hospital for nearly three years!

(Image via Instagram 1 & 2)

Suleman's first step on the road to motherhood occurred in 1996 when she married for the first (and only) time to a man named Marco Gutierrez. Nadya decided to begin IVF treatments after finding out that her reproductive system was "prematurely aging," according to BioNews. Sadly, Nadya and Marco's marriage didn't last and they separated in 2000 before officially filing for divorce in 2006. 

Nadya confessed to NBC News in 2009 that she simply didn't want to be a married woman, and her aversion to marriage didn't stop her from getting ongoing IVF treatments from Dr. Michael Kamrava. Oddly enough, the physician who treated Nadya was later expelled from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine... Sounds a bit fishy, no? But after seven years of trying to get pregnant, Nadya was finally blessed with six kids over just a few years: one boy, one girl, then a set of fraternal twins, and two other pregnancies.

It's safe to say that the nearly $10,000 Nadya on IVF over the course of 7 years paid off big time in 2008. That year, Dr. Kamrava implanted 12 embryos into Nadya, which resulted in her falling pregnant with eight children! Remember, Nadya was already a mother to six when she discovered she carried octuplets. 

The media quickly caught on to Dr. Kamrava's suspicious reproductive practices and expelled him from practicing fertility medicine. medical boards across the country accused the doctor of "gross negligence," including the California state medical board as reported by Reuters. Apparently, no one under 35 should be implanted with more than two embryos at a time... which explains Nadya's miracle octuplets. 

Nadya became the international media sensation "Octomom" overnight, suddenly becoming a household name just for her pregnancy. Unfortunately, not all of the attention she received was positive. In fact, the reaction to her pregnancy was largely negative as people everywhere complained that she would become a burden on taxpayers or should focus on the six children she had already. Public backlash got so bad that people actually gathered outside of her private home to protest. 

Despite all the negativity and rumors, Suleman gave birth to all eight babies in 2009. Even so, vandals continued to harass the new Octomom and vandalize her property. Life as Octomom was tough, and Nadya told People that "some nights" she doesn't "sleep at all or as little as half an hour," but still tried to "be the best mother [she] can be."

(Image via Instagram 1 & 2)

From interviews to TV shows and the two-hour special Octo-Mom: The Incredible Unseen Footage, Nadya fell headfirst into the equally wonderful and terrifying world of Hollywood stardom. Starting in 2010, it was clear Nadya was having a serious identity crisis. Magazines criticized her body, interviewers accused her of starring in adult films and plastic surgery, and she seemed to regret becoming a mother at all due to the financial burden. 

In April of 2010, Nada wrote a letter to Oprah Winfrey asking for help. "Thus far, the media has depicted a completely false picture of who I am. The trial I've been put through has forced me to see my true self — something I have avoided most of my life. I have been compelled to dig deep inside and pull out strengths I never knew I possess in order to protect my family. I am not a victim. I do not blame anyone for the circumstances of my life." 

(Image via Instagram 1 & 2)

After confessing to Oprah in an insightful interview that she felt like one "big carnival attraction," it's only natural that she slipped into a period of trying to find herself again. Unfortunately, people usually get drinking, drugs, and partying out of their systems during their 20s before ever thinking about kids... and Nadya already had 14. But fans really started to worry for Nadya after she posed for the cover of Closer, a UK-based magazine.

According to The Sun, she somehow thought the shoot wouldn't be "hyper-sexualized"... but that's definitely what happened. Suddenly Octomom wasn't just a "carnival attraction," but the "bad" mother everyone thought she would be. And, even worse for her reputation, she starred in the adult film Octomom Home Alone and worked as an adult entertainer in clubs. Plus, Nadya was forced to file for bankruptcy in April 2012, which probably influenced her decision to shoot pornography.

Nadya's time working in adult entertainment was short-lived, and she put an end to her career herself at the end of 2012. The Octomom finally decided to start thinking of her own health after looking after 14 children for years, which resulted in checking herself into a rehab center to deal with anxiety, stress, exhaustion, and addiction to substances. 

Rehab definitely helped Octomom reprioritize her life but that didn't stop her from stumbling into trouble. In early 2014, Nadya was sentenced to over 200 hours of community service for failing to accurately report her income and mooching $26,000 from the welfare system. 

(Image via Instagram 1 & 2)

There's so much to say about Octomom, but what about her octuplets? The kids — named Noah, Maliya, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah, and Jeremiah — recently became teenagers, turning 13 in January 2022. Nadya once again gained media attention after posting a celebratory birthday snap for her octuplets on Instagram with the following caption filled with motherly affection: "You are all growing into some of the most kind, humble, grateful, and loving human beings I have ever known."

She continued: "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, non-materialistic, 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 don't know what I could possibly have done to deserve being blessed so bountifully. I love you." 

The kids are happy and healthy, Nadya is sober, and everything seems to be going well for the infamous Octomom. While she didn't completely abandon the world of adult entertainment until recent years, Nadya is dedicated to ridding herself of her old "Octomom" identity that doesn't seem to suit her anymore. Nadya — who now goes by Natalie — told ITV  When I walked, or shall I say ran, away from my Octomom persona, I went right back into my healthy lifestyle that I've always had my whole life."

While not much has gone wrong in recent years for the Octomom brood, she still battles unsolicited advice from strangers regarding her children. "No one 'needs' any children. I never planned on having octuplets..." she wrote on Instagram, "though I wanted a big family (not THIS big lol)... hopefully, one day you will watch/read my true story."