A new Netflix docuseries, The Man With 1000 Kids, reveals the story of Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a Dutch sperm donor who has fathered hundreds of children worldwide, deceiving parents about the scale of his donations. The series focuses on the women he duped and their fight to stop him.
Vanessa, a mother who used Meijer's sperm in 2015, chose him because his profile promised involvement with offspring. After her daughter was born, she discovered via Facebook that Meijer was a serial donor, with her child having at least 100 half-siblings. A Dutch court ordered Meijer to stop in 2023, finding he fathered up to 600 children in the Netherlands since 2007, but mothers suspect the global total is closer to 1,100.
Meijer lied to Vanessa, claiming her child would be his eighth. He donated to at least 11 Dutch clinics, concealing his other activities. Despite her initial due diligence, which included checking his YouTube channel, Vanessa felt betrayed. She later decided to pursue a second sample from him, aware of his deception.
Executive producer Natalie Hill connected with a group of mothers who conceived via Meijer, spending two years building trust before filming. Some chose pseudonyms or not to appear, but they wanted to stop him. Vanessa, nervous about public judgment, said she fell for his profile and ignored alarm bells.
