Inside Octomum Nadya Suleman’s three-bedroom apartment

A woman who made global headlines after giving birth to eight children has lifted the lid on her life and lashed out at critics.

“Octomum” Nadya Suleman has revealed she is feeling more “blessed” than ever as she rings in her 50th birthday alongside her 14 kids inside the family’s three-bedroom California apartment.

Suleman, from Fullerton, made history in 2009 when she gave birth to the world’s first surviving octuplets, who were conceived through in vitro fertilisation.

However, her moment in the spotlight was quickly shrouded in controversy amid growing outrage over her parenting skills and financial woes, Realtor reports.

At the time, the mother of 14 — whose Lifetime biopic, “I Was Octomom,” and accompanying docuseries, “Confessions of Octomom,” hit screens on March 8 and 10, respectively — was accused of receiving and using government assistance to conceive her children, sparking fierce scrutiny.

After remaining out of the spotlight for 12 years, Suleman, who now goes by the name Natalie Suleman, broke her silence to slam “lies” that were spread about her.

Now, Suleman is slowly allowing fans a more intimate glimpse into her life, with her most recently sharing her 50th birthday celebrations with her followers.

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Nadya Suleman has revealed she is feeling more "blessed" than ever as she rings in her 50th birthday alongside her 14 kids inside the family's shared three-bedroom apartment. Picture: nataliesuleman/Instagram

Suleman made history in 2009 when she gave birth to the world’s first surviving octuplets, who were conceived through in vitro fertilisation.

The mum took to Instagram on July 13 to share an adorable snap of herself on her birthday surrounded by eight of her kids, noting that, while the eldest of her children were not pictured, they were all involved in the celebration.

In the caption, Suleman gushed about her children as she thanked them for making her day so “special,” adding that she “couldn’t imagine spending my birthday anywhere but home.”

“Couldn’t imagine spending my birthday anywhere but home, surrounded by loved ones. Thank you kids for making this day so special; and to my eldest (who are not in the photo per usual), thank you for the unique gifts, though I’m most grateful for your quality time and love,” she wrote.

“These moments I spend with you all each day make me so happy and blessed to be your mum. I love you.”

The proud mum previously laid bare the truth about her living situation in a wide-ranging interview with People back in March.

Suleman — who revealed that her three eldest children had moved out of the family home — explained that she and 11 of her kids are currently residing in a rented three-bedroom townhouse, having secured the property at a 50 per cent discount from “good Christian people” in their community who wanted to lend a helping hand.

They “offered us to live here [at] half the rent just because they’re good Christian people. People at church have made a positive difference,” she revealed, adding that her family currently receives “support” from various members of their community.

However, her moment in the spotlight quickly became shrouded in controversy amid growing outrage over her parenting skills and financial woes. Picture: nataliesuleman/Instagram

After remaining out of the spotlight for 12 years, Suleman, who now goes by Natalie, broke her silence to slam "lies" that were spread about her. Picture: nataliesuleman/Instagram

However, while Suleman was open about her experience with financial hardship, she vehemently denied all claims that she relied on taxpayers’ money to fund the birth and care of her octuplets, as well as their six siblings.

“That was a lie. I did not use taxpayers’ money,” she said.

“I’d saved so much money working as a psychiatric technician at a state psych hospital. I saved well over $100,000 ($A153,000).”

According to Suleman, she made the decision to invest all of her savings into IVF rather than buying a house, including $US60,000 ($A91,000) that she had inherited.

“I used all of that money. Instead of buying a house, I bought in vitros,” she admitted.

“I also had an inheritance close to $60,000 that paid for it, too, which I’m not proud of. It should have gone for my older kids. I also got student loans, but I paid for everything, period.”

Suleman’s current living situation, though cramped, seems to be one of the most secure she has enjoyed over the past 15 years, having been forced to move out of her former four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in La Habra, California, in 2012, when it went into foreclosure.

Months later, she moved into a pad in Palmdale, California, which she rented with the paycheck she received from her adult film work.

According to TMZ, she paid $US2,150 ($A3300) a month for the five-bedroom, three-bath house through March 2013.

Now, Suleman is slowly allowing fans a more intimate glimpse into her life, recently sharing her 50th birthday celebrations with her followers. Picture: People/YouTube

In the caption, Suleman gushed about her children as she thanked them for making her day "special," adding that she "couldn't imagine spending my birthday anywhere but home." Picture: nataliesuleman/Instagram

She admitted that she "never wanted fame" but did "whatever I needed to do to make ends meet. And that was shaming myself, sacrificing my integrity. Picture: nataliesuleman/Instagram

After moving out of that property, Suleman is understood to have headed to Orange County, where she is now living in her townhome apartment thanks to the kindness of a fellow churchgoer.

As for how she has managed to survive over the years, the reality star defended her decision to participate in X-rated adult films, nude photo shoots, and exotic dancing engagements, insisting that she was willing to do whatever it took to provide for her kids.

She admitted that she “never wanted fame” but did “whatever I needed to do to make ends meet. And that was shaming myself, sacrificing my integrity.

“The life I was leading was not only destructive, it was dark,” she added. “It was the antithesis of who I am as a person.”

She revealed that she did not hide her scandalous profession from her children, adding that a “huge weight” was lifted when she told them.

In 2013, Suleman decided to live a more private lifestyle and went back to work as a therapist.

In September 2024, Suleman became a grandmother for the first time, revealing in an Instagram post that her son, Joshua, had welcomed a baby daughter with his wife the previous month.

Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission.

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Originally published as Inside Octomum Nadya Suleman’s three-bedroom apartment