Octuplets mom Nadya Suleman signed a deal Thursday to launch her own reality show. Suleman’s attorney Jeff Czech indicated cameras would not scrutinize Suleman’s 14 children around-the-clock, but rather pick and choose moments for a ”quasi-reality TV series.”
Interesting, since intrusion on the children’s lives is very thing Suleman will go to court over June 22 in Orange County. Attorney Gloria Allred has filed a petition in Orange County Superior Court requesting that a guardian be appointed to protect Nadya Suleman’s octuplets “so that not one penny of their earnings will be spent by their mother.”
Her attorney Jeff Czech responded by saying that guardianships are “very expensive.”
“Taxpayers and the children’s funds are paying for this system” he says. “It is simply not prudent to rifle off a petition and waste judicial resources along with the precious little funds the children can look forward to.”
He also accuses Allred and her team of “interfering…in an apparent effort to gain publicity and financial reward for themselves.”
Allred also announced at her press conference that she has asked for an investigation by state child labor officials on grounds that the babies are working when they are being photographed and videotaped for online Web posts that Nadya gets paid for. The octuplets “are not incidental to Ms. Suleman’s commercial opportunities. And they have a right to their income.”
Allred filed the petition on behalf of Paul Petersen, a former Mouseketeer who grew up on “Donna Reed Show” and is now an advocate for child actors. Petersen, president of A Minor Consideration, says he is worried about the octuplets. “They are now working in the entertainment business and even though they cannot walk or talk they are protected under California law.”
Allred said she witnessed two of the preemies’ being filmed for nearly two hours straight one night after they arrived at their La Habra home from the hospital, in violation of labor laws. Babies cannot work for more than 20 minutes and it must be earlier in the day.
“Rather than choosing to provide her children with a normal life, their mother has chosen instead to commercially exploit them,” Allred says. A guardian, she says, would make sure the babies get the pay they deserve and hire an agent for them so they get the right gigs.
Allred also has a guardian in mind: Linda Rogers, “a professional fiduciary” from Orange County. A hearing has been set for June 22.
Czech said in his brief email response to Allred’s press conference that Suleman is taking the petition seriously and that she is “obedient” to child labor laws.
Meanwhile, production company Eyeworks apparently is shopping the still-unnamed series to the networks. No word on what Suleman will get paid.
It will give Suleman an outlet to defend her decisions — and keep her in the spotlight. “(Nadya) is looking forward to providing her side of the story,” said Czech.
Suleman receives free government-funded medical care because she has no health insurance, and welfare to help feed the children. It was her choice to pursue large multiple births as a single mother with no income that has drawn public fire over her expectation that she will receive financial support from government and private sources.
She solicits donations through her website. http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/
“We thank you for the love and good wishes sent to us from around the world. The octuplets arrived on 1-26-09. They are all healthy and growing stronger by the day,” the web site read, but is now currently forbidden 403 access denied.
Suleman, 33, had come in for widespread criticism for conceiving the octuplets through in vitro fertilization, even though she already had six kids under the age of eight, was living at her mother’s house and had no visible means of support.
However, she bought a $565K 2,583 square-foot La Habra house in March using money she received from donations as a downpayment, while a charity arranged for the babies’ care. But with the cost of care estimated at 45,000 dollars a month, it’s unclear how long the charity will be able to pick up the tab. (dpa)
Her previous house is going into foreclosure (actually her mom’s house) allegedly because the mother couldn’t afford the house and to care for Nadya’s babies.
Nadya Suleman received $165,000 in disability payments over six years, but didn’t pay a penny of it to her parents, who have been caring for her children. Nadya receives food stamps and her three older children receive disability payments. She also has $50,000 in student loans.
What laws would you like to see put on the books to prevent cases like this happening again? Post your comments below.
Do you think Dr. Phil helped Nadya raise money?
sources: Lori Basheda, Tom Berg, Sherwin, Elizabelth Snead, Scott Michels
Pass “The Juice” On To Your Friends…
OMG. Thanks for the update, I guess….
On a visceral level I loathe that woman. She’s just such a huge drag on our social systems.
She’s a hamster.
I don’t care for her either. I know I won’t be watching it. It will be interesting to see what happens now that Arnie cut welfare and all of the freebies for people like Nadya.
You know, her situation would never have been possible without the “help” of the doctor who implanted all those embryos. I think HE should have to support those children. He was completely irresponsible to assist Nadya.
And I really don’t get all these breeder reality shows. John and Kate plus 8, and that family that has like 19 kids…. wtf?
Let’s just not watch– They will all go away if no one watches their trainwrecks—
Some women make a good living off of their bodily functions.
How do you spell “exploit my kids, please!!!”?
Wonder if Gloria Alred will be invited to appear on her show —
HEY IS THAT CLAUDIA’S LOST SISTER?
*We think she just wants to run for the Water
Board. No, not that one….the one where she
gets to WaterBoard other people!
Why do we as a society reward these trainwrecks?
You are a sick woman who does not deserve kids!!!!!!!!!
octomom lives around the street from me and almost ran me over whem I was running. She goes to Total Woman Fitness in Brea and we see her all the time – she is a true nutcase.
She lost her membership at 24 fitness Brea for not making monthly fees. we do not like to see her at Total Womans fitness in Brea because she is a real nut case. This woman is for real and crazy. We who live in brea see her all tme without her kids and she is nuts
I have seen her at total women repeatedly and she is their for 3-4 hours at a time. It makes me sick! I have 3 kids and I could not imagine spending that amount of time at the gym on a daily basis. If she was at work and providing for her kids that would make for a valid point to be away from them…..but when you have that many kids that need your time an attention then 3 plus hours at the gym is neglectful!! This lady is sick in the head and her children should be placed in a home where someone can love them.
She goes to Total Woman in Brea and she is a maniac! I’ve never seen anyone work out like a mad woman before. Poor thing. Something is truly wrong in her head. How does she get away from her kids that log every day to work out? Thankfully she doesnt take them to the kids club at the gym.