Netflix is dropping some critically compelling documentaries this month, and first up is The Man With 1000 Children.
It explores the problem of fertility fraud and what can occur when sperm donors ignore the nationwide and worldwide laws in place in the case of what number of households they’ll provide. This can lead to tons of of half-siblings all over the world and a severe well being threat if these siblings procreate with out information of their connection.
A synopsis from Netflix’s TUDUM reads: “The Man with 1000 Children takes on the monumental process of making an attempt to piece collectively the havoc wreaked by Meijer throughout a number of international locations and continents — along with 11 sperm banks within the Netherlands and personal donations, Meijer had been donating sperm everywhere in the globe.”
The documentary is a wild trip, revealing the really darkish depths of the fertility business and the necessity for change and reform to guard households in search of sperm donors and their youngsters.
So we have completed a deep dive into Jonathan Meijer, the person on the centre of this controversy. Here is what we all know.
Who’s Jonathan Meijer?
Jonathan is the topic of the documentary, which follows the story of many mother and father who sought out sperm donations by means of a personal donor by means of sperm clinics – and ended up utilizing his sperm to father their baby.
He first began donating sperm within the Netherlands in 2007, and carried on doing so past the nationwide restrict of kids an individual can provide sperm for, which is 25. In April 2023, it was reported that he had fathered over 600 youngsters, however in accordance with the documentary, the numbers could possibly be a lot increased, as he has allegedly travelled worldwide to take action and operated beneath varied aliases.
A number of ladies report on the documentary that he slept with them to be able to “donate” his sperm, whereas others say he supplied his specimen to them in a cup. The documentary additionally covers a idea that he had been combining his semen with different “mass donors” as some sort of roulette or race to see whose sperm would father a baby when it was given to a mom. Meijer denies this.
He declined to take part within the Netflix documentary.
The place is Jonathan Meijer now?
Final yr, a Dutch courtroom banned Jonathan from donating any extra sperm, and suggested him to put in writing to all clinics to instruct them to destroy any reserves of his specimen that they could have on file. The one mother and father who may have entry to his sperm are those that have already got youngsters by means of his specimen and wish them to have siblings. If Jonathan breaks this ruling, he will likely be fined as much as £88,000.
Has Jonathan Meijer commented on the documentary?
Jonathan has used his YouTube channel – which reveals him travelling the world – to touch upon the present. He stated that he “could not work with” the unique title, which was The Fertility Fraudster, and referred to as the official documentary title (The Man With 1000 Children) “sensationalising and deceptive”.
He additionally stated that he did not imagine the determine of 1000 youngsters to be appropriate. “I need to discuss freely, I need to have [a say] in my very own story,” he stated.
Jonathan additionally criticised the documentary’s impression on the kids, questioning whether or not Netflix reached out to all involved households earlier than making it. “I am sadder that they determined to vary the lives of all my donor youngsters […] It is not proper to sensationalise. They need to have requested all the mother and father and kids [before making the documentary].”
The Man With 1000 Children is obtainable to observe on Netflix from 3 July.
