A woman who orchestrated an elaborate fake pregnancy and motherhood hoax online had previously stolen photographs of a friend's real baby to pass off as her own, it can be revealed.
The Stolen Photographs and a Mother's Anguish
Kira Cousins, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, took images of her friend's infant from social media and reposted them on her own profiles, claiming the child was hers. She even gave the baby a different name in her online updates.
The real mother, who has been given the pseudonym Laura to protect her identity, spoke of her horror. "I was horrified. I felt sick. This was my child," she told the Daily Mail. "I’ve had nothing but anxiety about my child’s safety since this has come out, knowing Kira lives so close. I don’t know what this girl is capable of."
The Elaborate Doll and AI Hoax
This earlier deception came to light following the exposure of Ms Cousins' more recent and complex fake pregnancy charade earlier this year. The supermarket worker convinced followers she was expecting, using faked scan images and messages.
She then took the ruse to a disturbing new level by using a moulded and painted 'Reborn' doll to simulate having a newborn daughter, whom she named Bonnie-Leigh Joyce. In a further twist, she pretended the doll had died, before finally confessing to the lies in an emotional social media post in October 2024.
"I’m so sorry. I wasn’t pregnant. There was no baby," she wrote. "I made it up and kept it going way too far. I faked scans, messages, a whole birth story and acted like a doll was a real baby. I know how bad it is. I just didn’t know how to stop once I started."
TV Documentary Deal Sparks Fresh Outrage
Laura, who went to school with Ms Cousins, has expressed little sympathy and is now furious that the hoaxer has agreed to tell her story to television producers. Production companies Soho Studios Entertainment and Glasgow-based Two Rivers Media are working on a film about the case, which is said to carry "huge international interest".
"I think she is getting all the wrong type of attention from it and I don’t believe the story she is going to tell is going to be completely honest," Laura stated. "I definitely don’t think she should be profiting from any of this. I don’t think the documentary should be made at all."
It remains unclear whether Ms Cousins will receive payment for her involvement. Alan Clements, Managing Director of Two Rivers Media, said: "We are delighted that, with the huge international interest around this story, Kira chose us. We look forward to treating those involved, the issues and this story with the sensitivity they deserve."
