Originally published: 2 April 2013
The 37-year-old single mum first made news in 2009 when she gave birth to octuplets using an anonymous sperm donor – despite already having six children.
Since then, she’s struggled to cope financially with raising her incredible brood of 14 kids – believed to cost an eye-watering £6,000 a month – and has fallen into debt and been condemned as an unfit mum in her native America.
'My daughter's made so many mistakes, but this is her biggest- she's an embarrassment'
Shockingly, she even turned to porn to make ends meet, outraging her father Ed Doud Suleman, 69, who told Closer last July: “My daughter’s made so many mistakes, but this is her biggest – she’s an embarrassment.”
After earning £250,000 from adult erotic movie Octomum – Home Alone, Nadya ended up in rehab last December when she become hooked on alcohol and antidepressants given to her to help with anxiety. She once admitted wishing she’d never had the octuplets, saying she sometimes locked herself in the bathroom in tears to escape the chaos.
Now she’s being investigated for welfare fraud for claiming thousands of pounds in benefits since January, saying her savings have run dry – something the authorities don’t believe.
For her mum Angela Doud, 71, a retired teacher – who’s separated from Nadya’s dad, Ed – the very real possibility that Nadya could end up in jail for three or more years, and lose her kids, is terrifying.
Talking exclusively to Closer, Angela says: “Nadya would die before she gave up her children so, if she went to jail, I’m terrified about what she might do. And I’d worry the other inmates would be aggressive towards her. If she went, my grandkids would have to be dispersed across different homes. I’d do my best, but I couldn’t care for them all. It wasn’t very smart of her to have so many children but, hand on heart, I don’t honestly believe she’d defraud anyone.”
Nadya’s dad Ed, 69, a retired translator, adds: “Nadya is trying to keep calm, but it’s hard. She’s a very intelligent woman, but sometimes she makes the wrong choices. Right now, she’s doing her best to take care of her kids. We all just want this to be over.”
Nadya’s six eldest children – Elijah, 11, Amerah, 10, Joshua, nine, Aidan, seven, and six-year-old twins Caleb and Calyssa – were all born using an anonymous sperm donor.
Despite being a single mum, she decided to have more embryos implanted, using the same donor, in 2008 – and gave birth to octuplets Noah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Isiah, Josiah, McCai, Maliah and Nariah, now four.
Admitting she spends £3,000 a month on groceries alone, she’s previously teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and faced homelessness after struggling to meet her mortgage repayments. She’s also been investigated by child services following allegations of neglect, after photos revealed the squalor of her home.
'She has a lot of pride- she'd do anything not to be on welfare'
But despite her foray into porn allowing her to rent a luxurious six-bed property in California, she signed up for welfare in January, claiming she’d spent the rest of her savings on rehab.
Ed – who told Closer last July that he feared Nadya’s funds from her porn film would be gone “sooner than she thinks” – says: “I hoped with the video sales she could have sustained herself longer. But while she made money upfront and continues to profit from sales, now she barely has any money left. But she has a lot of pride – she’d do anything not to be on welfare.”
Now Nadya’s facing an intense investigation into her earnings – and, if found guilty, could face three or more years in prison.