Netflix’s new documentary leaves new parents feeling 'disturbed'

The three-part series has many people longing for a child questioning the fertility industry.

3 min read

July 8, 2024 - 12:08PM

Lifestyle

Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.

The title of Netflix’s new documentary tells us everything there is to know about what to expect for the next three hours of TV viewing.

The Man with 1000 Kids is a three-part series about just that... a man who has managed to help birth around 1000 children through his sperm donations.

Although the word "help" is a bit of a stretch.

Want more TV news? Sign up to Kidspot’s Talking TV newsletter for all the up-to-date news sent straight to your inbox.

Jonathan Jacob Meijer became obsessed with helping parents. Image: Netflix

Who is the man with 1000 kids?

Jonathan Jacob Meijer is a Dutch musician who travels the globe and shares his life musings with his followers on YouTube. He is also a serial sperm donor, who offered to assist many couples around the globe turn their dreams of becoming parents into a reality.

After receiving their donations and welcoming their precious babies, many of the couples who Jonathan assisted discovered that he had fathered more babies than he was letting on.

Through interviews with the families seeking justice, we discover that each one was assured by the Dutchman that he only ever intended to help a handful of families with his donations. They were one of the lucky ones.

The jaw-dropping doco reveals how each couple discovers the truth about their sperm donor and sees him be brought to justice and banned from donating his sperm.

It's both shocking and heartbreaking to watch. But this is a story that goes beyond these couples' experiences.

Many viewers have taken to Reddit to share their shock reviews and thoughts.

"Insane story. What a reckless self absorbed narcissist of a human," one person shared.

"Holy hell. There should have been sperm block laws and a world-wide database set up to prevent this," another chimed in.

And another added: "This was the first time I audibly gasped when watching a documentary on Netflix!"

For many critics, the story was equally disturbing and raised plenty of questions that still needed answering.

"This is a story to chill the blood: a cautionary tale about the perils of the modern age," the Evening Standard's Vicky Jessop writes.

"It’s undoubtedly fascinating viewing, albeit in a very grim way – and the revelations about sperm donation (and Meijers’ way of doing it) horrifying. Is showing the documentary even the ethical thing to do, given the way it highlights the loopholes in the sperm donation industry?"

Many couples were shocked to hear how many other families were involved. Image: Netflix

Heartbreaking for families seeking help to fall pregnant

Questions about the legalities and loopholes were ones that have popped up a lot since the series hit the streaming platform.

"I would be too afraid to have a sperm donation. I don’t know what these couples were thinking. Completely rouge," one person chimed in online.

It has had a devastating blow on the fertility industry as a whole. Couples who have been struggling to fall pregnant were now feeling a level of distrust.

For Fertility Specialist at Genea East Melbourne, Dr Alice Huang, the series has put the complexities of sperm donation in the spotlight.

“Recent events and media highlight the complexity of using donor sperm. There are important ethical considerations, and we need clear regulations and transparency as we continue to navigate the evolving landscape," she tells Kidpsot exclusively.

"Each state in Australia has regulations as to how many families any one donor’s sperm can be used for, and reassuringly, there is more focus on governments to implement further legislation."

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Thankfully, many fertility clinics in Australia follow strict guidelines.

"At Genea, we offer donor sperm treatment to help everyone to have the opportunity to build their families," Dr Huang insists.

"We follow strict protocols on identifying the donor, adhering to donor family limits including checking on donor registers and other clinics, and ensure that the donor's medical and psychological history has been assessed. It is crucial to prioritise the well-being of all parties, including recipient parents, donors, and especially the children.”

While Jonathan Meijer refused to take part in the series, he has claimed that the doco is "deliberately deceiving and misleading".