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 Carmen

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Does she have ADHD? I think she overtalked the host everytime she spoke smh! Yea those are typical two year olds.. I dont know who she thinks she is kidding talking about them being well behaved at home.. Kids will be kids and she def has more than she can handle.. I feel bad for the older siblings b/c as we can see they are doing way more than they should!

By JC

Vote down Vote up Report this

Someone posted that she is 'laughing all the way to the bank'. Ann Curry stated she was being paid for the interview.

This is the most coherent I've seen her in interviews. It's clear (to me) that she has grown. I agree that she made many many mistakes but this is her life now (and a hard one) and she appears to be doing the best she can. She can't look back.

I thought they behaved very well. They were out of their element(not in their own home). Of course they were going to wander around. You can't expect them all to stay on the carpet and when they don't blame her.

typo: wasn't be paid

By speweth

yet another idiot. no more to say.

By cindianthony

Hey...she loves her children and is not trying to get rid of her "choice" by putting duct tape over their mouths! At least they are happy and healthy and not lying in some swamp! God bless her and her beautiful children!

By Sue

I teach two year olds and preschool. Two year olds are very smart and can cooperate when they know what is going on. The show and the Mother didn't do their job to prepare them for what was about to happen. Showing them what they could touch and not touch and where they could go and not go.

By funny

Move over Barnum & Bailey, there's a new act in town starring Casey and Nadya! Two of the most popular psycho bit****! Pulling all sorts of tricks and stunts. As part of the act you get to watch those horrible little children from hades running around while Casey chases them down with a roll of duct tape and a rag drenched in clorophyll.

By mfisher

"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."

They quoted her wrong in the article - what she said was "what are you going to do, stagnate? You're just going to stagnate forever and grow old."

I think she is much more articulate than I expected her to be, and if supposedly responsible journalists are quoting her, they should be correct.

By Ben

When the children were born mom was driving around in a huge black SUV an Escalade and had moved into a McMansion and now she is broke and her children misbehave.

This is news?

By l

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

gee, here we are again, It makes me SICK seeing the death threats to this woman and the mockery etc etc while we all pay for the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of black and mexicans on welfare with 8 plus kids being fed and clothed with tax dollars and public charity. At least this womans doing something to earn her childrens keep. WHAT ABOUT THOSE GOATS THAT HAVE 16 KIDS AND ARE BEING FEATURED AS CELEBRITIES ON DAYTINME TV??? Dont think they could use a little birth control or a vasectomy?? Who do you think is paying for their greed and mockery of this planet and human overpopulation??? The TAX PAYERS OF COURSE!! Give octomom a break for once. At least shes not sitting there on welfare with her hand out while her kids carjack the neighbors and rob old ladies at home.

By NeVeR mILLioN yeArs

OMG

By Katie

This woman is a lunatic! What is wrong with her? Seriously. I really do want to know what is wrong with her.

By Tired of the BS

Please just go away. Why does the media keep bringing the clowns back over and over again? Today is a new day, get some new material.

By Peter M. Kahn

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

I can't wait for Dancing With The Stars this fall. I hear Nadia, Casey, and Kate will all be on it together. Or maybe they will be on The Bachelor Show. Who will Jason or Jake pick?

By The Voice of Truth

The OCTO-PIG better learn to control her litter of HOGS!!!

Saturday 09 July

By J V L

Or the Octo-Hog had better control her litter of piglets.

Actually, it's not the kids' fault. She should have brought ADULTS to watch them, not a ten year old. The show should have provided a couple of interns to watch over them, and keep them distracted.

I think the Today show set her up. Not that it was all that difficult.

By Mary

You know she's lying..She's getting all kinds of aid from the system and from anybody who's dumb enough to send the idiot money..which is really what she's after.

By hmilorjr

this is a waste of internet time this woman is an idiot.

By steve

At one point do children welfare officials step in and say, I think we need to intervene here. Look at the Duggars, 19 kids and counting! There needs to be some responsibility here. Stop having unprotected sex! If you dont have the resources to care for them, dont make babies!

By sldeshaies

Oh for Petes sake, I should have watched it first, it is not much different than a nursery school with only two people to help. It was not all that bad, and shame on Today again, not to have a couple more people to be right there too. Fools.

Page 7 of 20