Netflix Faces Lawsuit from Infamous Sperm Donor in "The Man with 1000 Kids"
Jonathan Jacob Meijer, the prolific sperm donor spotlighted in the Netflix docuseries "The Man with 1000 Kids," has announced plans to sue the streaming giant. The series tells the wild tale of how four couples and a single woman gradually realize their sperm donor has fathered hundreds of children.
Meijer had assured the families he’d only helped a few, but as children across The Netherlands started looking suspiciously similar, the truth unraveled. Turns out, Meijer had been scattering his genetic seeds worldwide, creating a potential future of accidental family reunions of the romantic kind.
John, one half of a couple featured in the show, summed up the collective panic: "We thought, 'Oh fuck. What if these children meet each other and maybe have a connection or fall in love and they don't know they are related?' That's when the real panic started."
In April 2023, Meijer’s sperm donation spree was brought to a halt by the Hague District Court, which banned him from further donations after discovering he had fathered over 500 children. Meijer faces a hefty €100,000 fine for any future breaches of this ban.
The docuseries also aired allegations that Meijer and another man, Leon, ran a website called "Longing for a Child" to maximize their fathering potential. One anonymous donor claimed the duo mixed their sperm to play "sperm roulette," seeing who the child would resemble. Meijer denies these claims, stating, "I have never ran a website, there's no evidence for that."
Furious at Netflix’s portrayal, Meijer has vowed legal action for what he calls slander, saying, "I will take legal action, not only because of the mixing but some other claims as well."
Despite the controversy, Meijer hasn’t shied away from the public eye. He frequently updates his YouTube channel with videos on topics ranging from spirituality to his reaction to "The Man with 1000 Kids." In his latest post, he’s seen on a beach in Zanzibar, reflecting on his 50,000 hours as a sperm donor and his decision to leave the Netherlands for a more "nature-centric" life.
As Netflix remains mum on the lawsuit, the drama surrounding "The Man with 1000 Kids" continues to unfold, both on and off the screen.