Fact check: Is The Man with 1000 Kids a true story? Explained

Netflix's new docuseries, The Man with 1000 Kids, follows the scandal surrounding Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a Dutch musician and sperm donor. He has been involved in multiple scandals related to his sperm donation activities. While several of his victims have been interviewed for the docuseries, Jonathan refused the same.

There have been speculations about whether or not the docuseries is based on a true story. However, in a conversation with BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Jonathan Jacob Meijer called the allegations "misleading." He also claimed that the creators of The Man with 100 Kids framed his activities in a deliberately negative light.

However, the documentary's executive producer, Natalie Hill, rebutted the claims, adding that she had reportedly spoken to 45 to 50 families affected by Meijer's activities. She also claimed that these families had made impact statements in court against Jonathan.

However, Jonathan Jacob Meijer was reportedly unapologetic about allegedly having fathered hundreds, if not more, of children through sperm donation.

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Jonathan Jacob Meijer says The Man with 1000 Kids mischaracterized him

In his interview with the BBC, Jonathan Jacob Meijer maintained that he had done nothing wrong. He also claimed that the Netflix docuseries took his sperm donations out of context by cherry-picking the families who were upset with him.

"I think Netflix did a great job at selecting five families [who are unhappy] out of the 225 families that I've helped, and they [the other families] will definitely tell you something else," Jonathan added.

He also criticized the docuseries' title, claiming that calling it The Man with 100 Kids deceptively framed his activities. He went on to say that they "deliberately" went with the current title to be "deceiving and misleading" right from the start. Jonathan Jacob Meijer also claimed that, according to him, the documentary should have been titled "The Sperm Donor Who Helped Families Conceive with 550 Children."

Netflix, the platform streaming The Man with 1000 Kids, did not directly respond to the BBC's requests for comment.

However, Natalie Hill, the executive producer of The Man with 1000 Kids, responded to the claims Jonathan made on the BBC's Woman's Hour. She pushed back against what she believed were Meijer's attempts to downplay the severity of his actions.

"I've spent the last four years speaking to families who have been impacted by Jonathan's lies. I've personally spoken to 45 or 50 families," Hill said.

She added that 50 families had made "impact statements to the court about his lies and pleaded with the judge that he stop." Hill then noted that the "continued platform" for Jonathan to say that it was "a handful of women" was completely false.

A few women interviewed for the BBC Woman's Hour have shared their negative experiences with Jacob Meijer. They accused him of being a dishonest actor, and a narcissist who poses a public health risk.

One of these women, named Natalie, said that she was "conflicted" because he had told her that he was donating to five families. However, in 2021, after she read an article, she learned that it was "hundreds of families."

"That's why I'm conflicted and don't agree with his methods," Natalie said.

The docuseries features fertility fraud activist Eve Wiley. (Image via Netflix)

Meijer has constantly seemingly downplayed the severity of these allegations. When asked whether he considered fathering what he estimated to be 550 children excessive, he had a justification and explanation. He claimed that it was completely normal for sperm donors to father children in the hundreds.

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Jacob Meijer has a history of legal troubles due to his sperm donation, even before The Man with 1000 Kids

Before the release of The Man With 1000 Kids, Jacob Meijer gained media attention due to the legal issues his sperm donations had caused. The Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed in 2017 that he'd fathered over 100 children through 11 clinics. This resulted in his being banned from donating sperm to clinics in the Netherlands. He was also accused of fathering at least 80 additional children through private agreements.

Meijer continued his sperm donation through international clinics and private arrangements after the ban. The Donorkind Foundation sued him in 2023 out of fear that the extent of his sperm donations might lead to unintentional cases of inc*st among his genetic offspring.

It is worth noting that Jonathan Jacob Meijer had admitted to deceiving some families in an interview with the Brazilian TV program Fantastico. However, in his BBC interview, he claimed that Netflix's The Man with 1000 Kids had misrepresented him.

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The docuseries, The Man with 1000 Kids, is available for streaming on Netflix.