EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman Drops Ultra Rare Photo With Her Children During 50th Birthday Bash — As Controversial Mom Prepares To Redefine Herself After New Documentary
Natalie 'Nadya' Suleman is embracing her celebrity status.
July 15 2025, Published 5:30 p.m. ET
Natalie 'Nadya' Suleman celebrated her milestone 50th birthday surrounded by her brood, RadarOnline.com can share.
With a recent Lifetime reality series now complete, Suleman is ready to step back into the spotlight 16 years after giving birth to the world's first-ever surviving octuplets.
The Octomom recently celebrated her 50th birthday with her kids.
On Sunday, July 13, Suleman took to Instagram to share a heartwarming snapshot of herself on a couch, flanked by eight of her children, showcasing their close-knit bond.
As the group smiled and surrounded their mom, birthday balloons floated behind.
Suleman captioned the sweet snap: "Couldn’t imagine spending my birthday anywhere but home, surrounded by loved ones.
"Thank you, kids, for making this day so special; and to my eldest (who are not in the photo per usual), thank you for the unique gifts, though I’m most grateful for your quality time and love.
"These moments I spend with you all each day make me so happy and blessed to be your mom. I love you."
Facing Her Critics
Suleman recently opened up in a documentary series.
When she first found fame, Suleman was criticized for giving birth to now-16-year-olds Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Makai, Josiah, Jeremiah, and Jonah – especially considering she was already mother to Elijah, now 23; Amerah, 22; Joshua, 21; Aidan, 19; and 18-year-old twins Caleb and Calyssa.
In an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com, she shared the family is close and very protective of each other. Each child was the result of in vitro fertilization, something she never tried to keep from them.
"They’re very cognizant that they’re one of an octuplet," Suleman said, explaining that for a long time, they didn't even realize their unique childhoods."
Public Problems
Suleman's octuplets Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah and Makai are now 16.
That changed when the kids started public school.
Suleman explained: "When they went to school they were a little bit shocked that people pretty much perceived them a certain way and they treated them a little differently.
"They were not ever harassed, but kids would make comments. They would treat them a little unfairly. They would treat them like aliens."
Suleman laughed when reflecting on the time daughter Maliyah told her mom: "'They're treating us like we’re not the same species.' I thought that was funny."
But with the spotlight shining ever brighter, the proud mom decided to pull her kids out of school for a friendlier and more conducive environment of homeschooling.
"They value privacy. They all do," Suleman defended. "They just want to be treated like everyone else."
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Normal Life
The reality star wants to dispel misconceptions about her parenting.
Most importantly for her, Suleman wants people to see how "normal" her family really is.
"The public deserves to know the truth about the past, about the present, about who we are as a family and who I was personally as a mother," she said.
She added: "This whole story, I would say, there are misconceptions about everything. And as long as the public, who deserves to know the truth, as long as they find out the truth, they can formulate their own subjective views."
Suleman admitted she feels responsible for exposing – and overexposing – her family to public scrutiny. But it's never too late to reclaim your narrative.
"I don’t think anyone would want to go through life with people seeing them as the antitheses to who they truly are," she said.
