The octuplets of Octomom turn 16 – here’s what their lives are like now.

Worldwide Sensation… and Scrutiny

On January 26, 2009, Suleman gave birth to the octuplets — Noah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah, Makai, Maliyah, and Nariyah — at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.

All eight survived, an astonishing medical outcome that immediately made Suleman the subject of intense global media attention.

To the public, she quickly became known as “Octomom,” a nickname that would stick for years.

News outlets around the world covered her story hundreds of times over, interested not just in the medical milestone, but in the woman at its center.

Some people celebrated the family’s size and uniqueness.

Others criticized Suleman for making what they viewed as irresponsible choices — especially because she was unmarried, unemployed, and without a stable financial foundation at the time.

Amid this spotlight, Suleman faced death threats, intense public judgment, and some of the harshest scrutiny a mother could imagine.

In media narratives that often felt intrusive and dehumanizing, she was reduced to a caricature instead of being seen as a parent trying to navigate extraordinary circumstances.

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