Netflix's "Man with 1000 Kids" exposes global sperm donor scandal

"The series unfolds like true crime, each episode revealing yet another level to Meijer’s international operation. But its focus is on the women he deceived, the alliance they forged against him, and the families forced to live with the consequences of his actions," The Guardian describes the new Netflix production. The antihero responds.

Two years ago, there was considerable talk about Netflix's shocking documentary "Our Father." It narrated the story of Dr. Donald Cline, who ran a fertility clinic and inseminated unsuspecting patients with his sperm. "Our Father" is a harrowing tale full of unexpected twists that no Hollywood script could match. The story involves over 90 children, an ultra-conservative Catholic cult, intimidation, weapons, a court trial, and a chilling finale. Now, Netflix has released a three-part series not about a doctor but a random man from the Netherlands who donated sperm to numerous sperm banks.

Netflix's documentary series consists of three parts. Parents and single mothers recount how they met Jonathan Jacob Meijer. A frustrated musician from a large family, Meijer spent years donating his sperm to sperm banks and privately contacted couples and single women seeking to have a child. In the Netherlands alone, Meijer is reported to have donated sperm to as many as eleven sperm banks.

"You get one life on this Earth — why has he chosen to use his charm and his intellect and his creativity in order to try to procreate on a mass scale and deceive all these people?" wonders documentary director Josh Allott. "Speaking to lots of different parents that have met him and people that know him well, it seems like it almost became an addiction for him," adds the creator of "Man with 1000 Kids."

Meijer travelled around the world and registered at various sperm banks. Characters in the Netflix series recount that he made a positive impression when they met him in person. Creative and intelligent - these descriptions frequently appear in the narrations in front of the cameras. Couples reported that he was willing to help with the donation. In almost every conversation with new couples, he emphasised that he had helped only five families. But some couples believed he was only helping them.

The exact reasons for Meijer's actions are unclear. In the Netflix series, parents reveal how the situation came to light. Over one hundred fifty parents gathered through social media and contacted the Donorkind Foundation to help hold Meijer accountable. This organisation helps children conceived via sperm banks discover who their father is. Within one week, they received calls from thirty people terrified their children might share the same father.

Under Dutch law, one donor can be the father of a maximum of twenty-five children. However, no regulations penalise those who exceed this number. The risks are significant. This includes potential relationships between individuals unaware that they share the same father, genetic disorders, psychological harm, and plain fraud. Characters in the Netflix series highlighted that Meijer used false information.

In 2017, Meijer was officially banned from registering with sperm banks in the Netherlands. In 2023, he lost a civil lawsuit filed by the Donorkind Foundation. The court determined that if Meijer does not stop donating sperm to banks, he will have to pay £87,000 to each affected family. Banks were also ordered to destroy the sperm originating from him.

How many children does he have? One of the trials mentioned three hundred children. The creators talk about a thousand offspring, but according to one expert, considering couples who privately used his help and not sperm banks, there may be up to three thousand children fathered by him worldwide.

"Man with 1000 Children" is making waves on Netflix. Meanwhile, Meijer is active on social media. He also gave an interview to LADBible.com, where he complains about Netflix.

When asked if he doesn't think his actions were unethical, he said: "Consider becoming a donor if you have good intentions and if you’re healthy, the demand is big. We should focus on making it more positive and more easy for people to become a donor. Then, also, I don’t have this much work!" He also added that since many couples who used his sperm were same-sex couples, the situation within the family should be clear - the children were born thanks to the help of a sperm donor.