Yesterday we reported on news from In Touch that Octomom Nadya Suleman was working out a deal for a reality show that would focus on her life as a single mom and search for love. This was despite the fact that Suleman said she wouldn’t do a reality show and pledged to remain celibate until her kids grew up. We know how much Suleman’s word is worth as she’s also said that she’s never had plastic surgery and that she didn’t use welfare.
Another news outlet confirmed with In Touch’s editor that Suleman told them she had reality show in the works, and they called the concept “Jon and Kate Plus 8” meets “The Bachelor.” They also confirmed that Suleman insisted that the show not use the term “Octomom” to refer to her.
Aggressive lawyer Gloria Allred isn’t hesitating to condemn Suleman for the planned reality show. Allred worked with the Angels in Waiting agency to broker a failed deal to provide free nursing care for the octuplets. Suleman ultimately rejected their help and claimed that they were judging and monitoring her. It seems like Suleman was right as Allred then talked smack about Suleman to the media, claiming that she used her babies as props and was more concerned about fame than her children’s well being. The Angels in Waiting agency also filed three reports with Child Protective Services on Suleman that focused on things like lax home security and Sulemam supposedly letting a nanny with tuberculosis around the babies.
Allred is now saying that this reality show is of course more evidence of what a terrible mom Suleman is:
Speaking exclusively to OK!, Gloria said that, when Angels in Waiting USA – the nursing organization she’d worked with to help Suleman – had visited the Octomom’s house, “it appeared to the nurses and myself that Nadya treated her babies as props and as part of a television set for those who were filming her.”
According to Gloria, there are two very different Octomoms. “When the cameras were not rolling she was absent from the babies and the nurses for significant blocks of time and never volunteered to feed the babies herself,” recalls the outspoken lawyer.
“She also asked AIW many times if they would agree that she could have a reality show. AIW is on the record telling her that they would not allow it because of the risk of infection from the presence of dirty cameras, audio equipment and electrical cords – and the concern for the emotional well-being of all of her children.
“Nadya now appears to be putting her money-making scheme of a reality show before, in my opinion, the best interests of her children. If she goes ahead with it she needs to spend less time looking for a man and more time mothering her 14 children.”
Not surprisingly, Gloria believes that Nadya’s motives are off the mark. “If she is looking for men, she is looking for love in all the wrong places. Rather than doing a reality show, she needs to deal with the reality that she has 14 children (a number with special needs) who need her to be there with them to love them and be a real mother to them. That is the reality that she needs to face.
“Her children need a mother who will protect them and their privacy, not a mother who appears ready to auction off their privacy to the highest bidder.”
[From OK! Magazine]
I don’t think Suleman is even an adequate mom but when someone like Gloria Allred talks so much smack about her it just makes me want to defend her. Suleman is a narcissistic woman who believes that things should be handed to her in life, including children. She’s arranging for their care though. It’s not up to us to say that she should be with them constantly or be super concerned at every moment if she has the means to hire help and they are well looked after.
The issues with the security and health of the babies need to be resolved, but condemning Suleman for that isn’t going to help her. If Allred wasn’t so antagonistic, she may have been able to convince Suleman to hire security and be more careful about the babies’ health. Octomom was willing to work with Angels in Waiting but they didn’t seem willing to stop judging her.
If she goes through with this reality show you can bet there will be a lot more people passing judgment on her. It sounds like a bad idea, but it’s not like she’s made the best decisions in the past or she wouldn’t be a single unemployed mom with 14 kids all conceived by invitro. She wants cash and fame and she’ll get it. Maybe someone else can help her be a more present mom by working with her instead of against her. It’s not like she doesn’t love her kids, she just also loves fame and cash.
Nadya Suleman is shown shopping at Target on 3/12/09. Credit: Mavrixonline.com
She loves attention and cash WAY MORE than she loves her children.
What a smug and delirious piece of crap she is.
Because she didn’t get a cut of profits?
^^^Octomom, that is.
How vile do you have to be before an unpleasant b!tch like Gloria Allred seems like the lesser of two evils?
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…(Oh God) Gloria Allred’s right.
I could be wrong but I have the feeling the Octomom’s fifteen minutes of fame are already burning up. There seems to be less reports regarding her…
I do hope the reality show is not truly coming. Not because I care about those who would watch but because it seems to be a wrong move towards those 14 children who must be seeking attention. If the only way for them to get some is to have a crew 24/24 in their house, it could lead to some serious damage afterwards (because I sincerely don’t believe the show would air for many seasons: the big family reality series already have enough of contenders who have strong fan bases and there’s not that much interest in seeing how a household is run when you’ve got your own to take care of)…
I can’t understand all the hoopla about the Octomom letting the TB woman near her children…
That was never a question I asked a babysitter about…
That was something that the person WITH TB should have known and taken herself out of the equation.
Once Octo knew about the TB woman, she should have ushered her out and contacted the agency about her.
Not to nitpick (yeah right!), but those 3 packs of diapers might last 1/2 a day at that house. Put down the jeans, Nadya, and go back to the baby care section and clean out them diaper shelves. Don’t go home back without at least a dozen.
my defense of Octolooney: (what is wrong with me)
My security system is a Doberman and a Pitbull. Wonder what Glory Head and AIW would think of that?
Lax? depends. Do you have a frisbee or a squeaky toy or do criminals push the doorbell?
I’m not a fan of Gloria Allred, but I don’t disagree with anything that she has said/reported about Ms. Suleman. There is no way that the average nanny, with limited (if any) training for caring for special needs children will be able to adequately provide the level of care that AIW most likely would have provided. There are very few people who can afford to pay for that level of care for 14 small children, including 8 premies.
Perhaps they could have been kinder to Octomom, but what human could have entered that house and seen the circus that is swarming those young children, and not been annoyed with their mother.
And when you have a bunch of strange adults with almost unlimited access to your home, you will need more than ADT and/or killer dogs to protect the safety of 14 children.
@ Grandizer,
TB is a HUGE issue, and anyone that cares for small children or in the general public dealing with people need to get checked out (it’s a skin test). Especially when there are now strains of drug resistant TB wiping out people left and right.
I think that was an issue for AIW and Octo-freak let her stay around the babies. Just another area where it seems she is clueless.
Oh no Lem. Are you serious? You dont leave those dogs around (kids?) Unattended do you? thats truly even worse that that woman…
i live in South TX and dogs like that are a SERIOUS problem. In the past 8 alone a 7mo old infant and a 2yo little girl were mauled to death by pit bulls . And those are just the recent ones that died. My friend was walking her dog and was attacked by two roaming pits and they killed her dog but only attacked her lower legs before a man rescued her. When people talk about those dogs with pride it really scares the shit out of me. Hopefully new legislation being introduced will regulate “dangerous” breeds and require owners to have 100 grand in liability insurance. It prolly wont past but still, Its worth trying….
sorry for going off the title story….
* eight days alone
I promise you my dogs are safer and better tempered than any ankle biter you’ll find. They get a bad reputation mostly due to bad owners. Dobies are quite gentle dogs. Very smart and easily trainable which is why they are often guard dogs. Pits can also be just as easy going. The dog whisperer’s top dog is a pit, if no one told you, you’d never be afraid. I’ve seen labs attack. My brother had his face nearly taken off by a toy terrier. It’s all in the owner. Good or bad. yes a bad pit can do more damage than a bad chiwawa. But I promise the are more biting little dogs out there.
If you banish the breeds then you’ll have shepherds and poodles attacking people. We’re dog sitting a golden that keeps chewing (albeit gentle gumming) on my kids.
I assure you my dogs know that the children are in charge. My dog’s would not hurt the children. They do not chase the deer, rabbits or cats. And they would not scare you if I did not tell you what they were. I often don’t tell people for years and they are shocked when it slips out. It’s doggie profiling and it’s wrong. They will however scare the piss out of anyone attempting to break into my house and defend me and the children to the death from any attacker human or otherwise. Once they held off a charging bull moose and have stood their ground against a mountain lion while I got the doors open.
@ LEM
While I totally agree with your point of each dog personality depends on the owner, there will always be exceptions to the rules.
I am a victim of a horrendous dog attack when I was 5 years old. The dog missed my jugular by mere millimeters, tore open my face from eyebrow to under jaw. This was not a strange dog, but my babysitters dog who I saw everyday. It was a completely unprovoked attack (I was sitting at a coffee table coloring), and didn’t taunt/tease/torment the dog, it just flipped out.
Many years and reconstructive surgeries later, I am just learning to trust other dogs and respect them. My point is I guess, with small children around, no dog is totally safe when unattended.(Especially purebred dogs who genes have been inbred time and again)
BTW, it was a German Shepard who attacked me.
I did watch the dogs closely when the kids were very little, but that’s what I mean by responsible dog owners. When my daughter was a few hours old I laid her in the swing. My dobie went over and pushed it with her nose. Rocked it for an hour. That’s when I knew she could be trusted. The pit took a bit more convincing that the baby was in charge but very shortly gave it up that she had moved down a ring on the totem pole.
Full disclosure. My cat will rip you a new one. always unprovoked. Luckily he hates the kids and won’t even come in the house if they are awake. I do warn everyone who visits not to try and pet the cat.
For Realz: I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through. I’m very sorry that it has made you fearful of dogs. It is said dogs can smell fear. I know my own dogs always sit next to the person that’s ‘not a dog person’ and my sil and her son to whom she passed down a fear of dogs often have dogs run up on them. Those same dogs will just come meandering up to me. I don’t know what that’s about other than maybe they also sense I just won’t put up with misbehavior.
I’m sorry for what happened and as the owner of a big black dog I know how it can affect everyday life. I see people climb on tables and turn and run the other way or dive back into the car when we are still all the way across the park. I’ve had many ‘bad breeds’ what I’ve learned walking them towards other people is you can tell how a dog will behave by watching the owner. If the owner starts winding the leash around their arm, looking for an exit or shorting up the leash severely, your more likely in for trouble due to the owners issues. Often times if you watch. The dog has not even bothered to care about you till the owner signals their own discomfort in the situation. Dogs are easy to read too. If they stop and lower their head or give you the side eye, not so much a dog you would want to confront. I hate to see anyone afraid. I wish I could help. If you ever see a girl running down the path with 2 giant dogs hanging off her right side, give me a holler.
yeah Shepherds, chows and boxers are everybit as nasty untrained as pit’s dobies or rott’s. They just never get mentioned.
Then again I can’t tell you how many fluffy little things have grapped my jeans like I was a bone.
It really IS the owner, not the dog. ANY animal who feels threatened or cornered or is brought up with violence will bite and attack. I have a 3 year old Pit Bull and he is the sweetest, gentlest, biggest giant baby ever. He is always around smaller dogs and the kids in my family and he has never even so much as growled at anyone, much less bitten them.
I understand anyone who’s had a bad experience being afraid of dogs, but I gurantee you the Pit Bulls are not the most dangerous dogs out there. ALL dogs bite. Pitts are, however, very strong, so they can cause quite a bit more damage if they do bite. So can Dobermans, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, or any other large dog trained to guard.
@ Lem
Thanks! It’s been a long road, but I do respect most dogs, and have met a few that I really liked! 🙂
From what I have observed and learned, dogs do respect their Alpha dog, as yours do too, and when you’re not one, well it’s a different story. I love that show “It’s me or the Dog” (we refer to her as the doggy domanatrix, she wears all black), and have taken up some of her training tips. You are right on the money with dogs rapidly approaching me, so I do the cross arm turn away maneuver! I don’t make eye contact or stare them down and try to put out that “leader dog” vibe! LOL
I am a cat person thru and thru, but I do agree with your random attack cat experiences! We have a special needs kitty who is basically blind and slightly retarded (momma cat had feline herpes, left her kitten to die) who seems to think I am her scratching post. She LOVES my hubbie and is nothing but purrs and cuddles with him!
It always cracks me up when people try to approach her and then she hisses and looks all mean, but those who don’t like cats or are allergic, she’s cool with! Animals and their special senses!
@ lem: If your dog is trained well and responds to your authority then all the best to you. is your dogs neutered? Registered? Do you have a permit for them? Does your home insurance cover you with dogs?
@ for realz: I’m sorry about what you went through. You must be very courageous to be able to go through that and still come to terms with large dogs.
it is still a major issue over here. Alot of people say its the owner and not the dogs fault when they attack but you really have to look at the ppl who own these dogs. (nothing against the guys here) a majority of pittbull owners are ghetto gangsters wannabees who think they are living the “thug” life with owning these dogs. They’re also prized as fighting dogs- something that’s prevalent around here also. When my man and I went to the pound to look at dogs (we were thinking of getting a dog-pref rescued) I was amazed and shocked to see how many pitts were there with scars on their ears and faces, and also what their tags said. “returned ” “bit before” “agg animal”..etc. I honestly don’t think they can ever be a part of a home. period. And try telling how gentle they are to my friend, she told me after the attack that during it,she honestly thought she was going to die. And still has the ugly scars on her legs.
hats: I’m sorry your friend was attacked. I can’t say it wasn’t your friends dog who started the attack. Neither can you. Since you offered, I would tell your friend it wasn’t BECAUSE the dog was a pitbull.
and just so you know, scars don’t necessarily mean fighting. Pits have dramatically less sensation in the skin. so where a whippet would back up and go around (say a tree branch) a pit will go through it because they don’t feel it. They are ruff and tumble dogs but they do scar easily
If you have major dog fighting rings then you need to take it up with local animal control. Not fair to the dogs. It sounds to the point where random citizens are being mauled left and right then thats on the bad guys, the cops and animal control.
saying all pits are bad is akin to saying all Mexicans are bad. You live near the border then I’m sure you can make a case for both sides and see sometimes you are a product of your environment. dogs raised to fight will fight but so will roosters raised to fight or kids or monkeys or thug wanabe’s. Should we ban all teenagers cause the one’s in your neighborhood cause a rucus?
Ugh I am such a hypocrite because I said I would never comment again on an Octomommy post but yet, here I am. I just can’t help myself.
The TB issue is a big one. Gloria said it was a Hispanic lady testing postive for TB. That woman was most likely not legal working under a fake name. I live in an area with a large Hispanic population and I used to work as an admissions cleak for a hospital. People would come in testing positive for TB needing an x-ray. They were required to wear a mask but VERY few of them did. Often when i would instruct them to put on their mask they would take it off as soon as they left the door. I understand what you’re saying about people testing positive shouldn’t be apply for jobs around children but many of them still do. I don’t know if they don’t understand or don’t care.
But I agree, Octomom should’ve sent them packing.
Yes, you can say that.(sigh)but unfortunately, there are going to be ppl who selectively raise and bred these dogs for just that. When i brought this up with my man, he just shrugs and says not to worry, Darwinism will take care of them. And i have yet, in all my 23 years of living on this earth, to meet a friendly pit bull. What are the odds of that? if you look up mysanews.com or google “Izaiah Gregory Cox ” you’ll see my point. His funeral was Friday. And the most amazing thing to top it off? I have never heard of any other fatal dog attack involving another breed(in my area). Coincidental?
(p.s. Animal Care Services put down 67,000 animals last year in my area, they dont come out to calls of roaming dogs or neglect anymore)
I want a guard dog (I’ve been burgled twice) but with a first grandchild on the way I’m nervous. It’s hard to decide which breed would be best. But, back to Octopussy…celibate until the kids grow up? Huh? What the hell difference does that make?
Orangejulius: sorry, this has no connection to the post, but when Lem mentioned it, it just touched a nerve! I almost never comment cause most things just don’t seem worth it.
But for a dog, I would say go with a Shepard. for_realz may not agree with it, but from what I have researched, they are most obedient and loyal dogs. I was thinking of getting a Shepard mix but I still stand by what I said: Dont go the pit bull route. Its more trouble than its worth and what if one day (God forbid) you regret it?
Remember: when you get an animal, its a life-long commitment!
And second: never ever ,under any circumstance, leave a dog unattended with children! That circles back to my earlier post “Google “Izaiah Gregory Cox”. the owner of the two pit bulls was a grandmother babysitting her 7 month old grandson.