Octomom Brings 9 of Her Kids Along for Chaotic 'TODAY' Visit (Video)

By Kiki Von Glinow Posted Jul 8th 2011 10:45AM

It was more like an inside look at sheep herding than a sit down interview when Octomom, Nadya Suleman, brought her 2-year-old octuplets and nine-year-old daughter, Amara, to the 'Today' show as Ann Curry attempted to wrangle a few children and some answers from the tabloid sensation mother.

Falling over set lights, drawing on desks or hiding behind stage walls, the talk show host and Suleman had their hands full to say the least. At one point, one little one even fell into a stage light as a shocked and concerned Curry began yelling, "No, no, no" before jumping up to help the two-year-old. Later two of the children sprinted from the set before both Curry (who was having difficulty carrying her question cards and a squirming toddler) and Suleman came back to finally get down to business regarding the Octomom's financial situation.

It takes nearly $15,000 per month to support Suleman's 14 children and until recently, the Octomom claims that she was not paid for her appearances or interviews. Hoping to change that, she recently hired a manager to help land paying "odd jobs," including celebrity boxing matches, to contribute to her monthly bills. But Suleman's 'celebrity' gigs come in addition to the income she earns for being a personal trainer -- a job she believes helps her deal with the guilt from involuntarily putting her young children's lives under a microscope.

"That's been my way to self-medicate, through exercise," Suleman explained as a way to cope with the death threats she has received and the panic attacks they cause.

Before Suleman landed management representation and her fitness gig, she was forced to lower her standard when it came to making quick cash to support her 14 children as a single mom. Although the Octomom, who bears a striking and controversial resemblance to actress Angelina Jolie, says she cannot linger on regret, she does admit to having made poor choices in her past, including signing on for a fetish video in which she sports bondage gear and cracks a whip on a man wearing a diaper.

"I personally cannot waste my energy fixating on the past and my past choices, regardless if they were good or bad choices ... Learn to grow as a result of your choices, own and accept the responsibility of your choices and look forward because if you look back, what are you going to do, stab me? You're just going to stab me forever and grow old."

But her past gigs, although some may lack a moral code, have helped Suleman keep her head above tough financial waters or worse -- according to Suleman -- going on public aid.

"I've never in my life been on [public assistance], and I never would," she told Curry. "I would feel like a failure as a mother and as a human being."

We get that Suleman refuses to go on public assistance but what about some private aid? Although she told Curry that the reason why her little ones were so rambunctious during the live interview was that they only had two hours of sleep during their travels to the New York interview, we can't imagine how Suleman is able to take care of 14 children on a daily basis.

"I'm so happy I don't have nannies," she said. "It's harder, but I feel so much stronger. I forced myself to pull out strengths I never knew I possessed."

The Octomom, who finds time to climb 40 miles/week on a stair climbing machine, starts her day at 5:30 AM and is in the middle of potty training her eight two-and-a-half-year-olds. But Suleman believes it is precisely because of her single status that she gets such a bad rap as a mom.

"If I had a mate, that would have defused a lot of the animosity," she said. "I'm the ultimate societal scapegoat, I believe."

That "animosity" is exactly where Suleman believes a recent In Touch magazine article that claimed she said, "I hate babies. They disgust me. My older kids are animals. I can't discipline them," came from. Suleman divulged that she is considering suing the magazine for slander.

"I think they should retract it because it's all slander," she said. "I love my children. I would do anything for my kids."

With eight toddlers to potty train, we have a feeling that Suleman's lawsuit will be getting more than a little cool on the back burner.

Tags: nadya suleman

Comments

(398)

Friday 08 July

By miramar65

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The Today Show should be ashamed of themselves for exhibiting that trashy woman. All they did was enhance America's image as a bunch of morons.

By simonellijoann

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Octomom has no control over those children, her 10 year old daughter is the star here according to the film footage. Octomom still thinks it's all about her. She was unorganized and why did her children only have 2 hours sleep? Since she's been doing this for 2 years she apparently does not know how to organize her brood. She should have planned with her children prior to the show to sit down and perhaps show the world that since there are 8 of them that they can say their ABC's -something that would have brought some order to the disorder. More focus on the children and not her. She believes that counting is a good parenting skill, actually it's not normal. Imagine the lot at 5 or 6 years old. By then her daughter will not be willing to be as involved when she's 15 or 16. Octomom has no control over her situation, she's one of those mothers who just loves to talk and talk about herself- it's not about the kids and never will be. It's a shame.

By Judy

Get a job and make the idiot of a doctor support his children. Stop using the children and learn how to control them. Nuff said

By lucky

Who cares about this idiot and her too many children. Why does the media keep shoving her in our faces. Enough already, keep her out of the news and off these stupid "news" programs.

By Momof3

She HAS been on welfare...Just watch the Oprah show when she was on it, she said she was on welfare...she is such a liar.

By Riverrat47

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Can we all say............Oink

By felechia

I take my hats off to her my twins boys are now three going on four and I remember two. let me tell you this, my two year olds would have being doing the same things. They are boys this is what they do. It seems as if she is doing an ok job....I know people with one kids and the wall are bang in from the bike and stuff. GOOOOOO girl Dont worry about other people and just do you and your 14 kids

By Denise

would be nice if she was able to do an interview without CONSTANTLY interupting the quiestions and CONSTANTLY interupting when other are speaking.... LEARN SOME MANNERS SO YOU CAN TEACH THEM TO YOU LITTER...

By sondbr

I can't figure out why social services haven't stepped in to this situation. These kids are in jeopardy, there's no doubt about it and Nadia could melt down at any minute - in fact, I'm sure she has - who wouldn't taking care of that many 2 yr. olds!! I have seen many large groups of multiples on TV and NONE have been so poorly behaved as her children, so, if that kind of behavior occurs when in public, I hate to imagine what goes on at home. Someone needs to do SOMETHING to help this woman, no matter what she says she will/will not do.

By maisie

They are clean, fully dressed, interact with others, and appear healthy. What do you expect them to do..... sit still for the entire interview? THEY ARE TWO YEAR OLDS!!!

By TBR

I think the kids were well behaved to be only 2! Have you ever seen a 2 year old sit perfectly still? If they were perfectly still I would think something was wrong with them!

By Tom

Why can't someone get these children into reasonable homes and get this piece of trash woman out of our lives?

By gene

I would have turn the channel as soon as she came on if I would have been watching

By saannie25

these children look happy and healthy and obviously full of energy. By the look of the children she is obviously doing something right. I may just have to change my mind about her. I can't believe she is reciving death threats. I wonder if the people who are giving her death threats are thinking about the chldren? If she dies or is killed who is going to take in all these children?

By Kat Wuman

THis woman is an unfit mother. She has a wild pack, not children-which is NOT their fault. I feel so sorry for the 9 year old. I am sure she is doing more to raise the children that that idiot and is more than ignored. Nadya is incapable to being a parent and they should be removed from her "care" if you can call it that! She is disgusting and her children appear feral! I hope they did not pay her a DIME for that interview!

By drmr401

Feral, huh? You've obviously never had to deal with a two year old, never mind multiple two year olds, have you there, genius?

Monday 11 July

By BelleStarr

Her older children are definitely feral. You should see the videos of them - they are like ants on an anthill, crawling around on the counters and in the cupboards looking for food. Pitiful.

By Mj

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shes just taking advandage of the Gov. programs that they offer . thanks to the elections of 2008 we can have these wonderful upgrades for the less fortunate. Get over it or vote different

Sunday 10 July

By mary

you must not have any children... yep lets vote for republicans next election. Lets do away with taxes for schools, stop all tax credits no more deductions off your tax return. Make room for your parents &grandparents when they will lose there SS and medicare. they will need a place to live Hope you have a management job with no union. and when they tell you they want you to work a 20 hr day and move across the country and lower pay. Oh if you have a storm don't ask the federal goverment to help you. You asked for ststes rights

By KB

Read the last sentence in the 3rd paragraph.

She feels guilt for involuntarily putting her children under a microscope?

Involuntarily? She was forced to have fertility treatments? Really? She was forced to make her babies' arrival a media circus? Uh-huh. And now she's doing these raunchy jobs being Octo-Mom because she doesn't want her kids looked at under a microscope? Hmmmm.

She's not trying very hard to keep them out out of the limelight is she? She said at their birth that she was hoping for a reality series like Kate+8.

My kids aren't looked at under a microscope, but the again, my kids weren't on "Today" this morning either.

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