Prolific Sperm Donor at the Center of The New Netflix Documentary 'The Man with 1000 Kids', Suggests Social Media Symbol to Prevent Incest Among Donor Children
Jonathan Jacob Meijer, the prolific sperm donor featured in the new Netflix documentary "The Man with 1000 Kids," has proposed that his numerous donor children use a social media symbol to reduce the risk of unwitting incestuous relationships.
The docuseries details how Meijer spent years donating both to sperm banks and privately to women. In 2023, The Hague District Court banned him from further sperm donation due to fears of inbreeding after he admitted to fathering over 550 children globally.
During the trial, the Dutch judge raised concerns about the risk of incest. Meijer’s lawyers responded by suggesting that his donor children could use a social media symbol to identify themselves as his offspring.
An Australian donor mother named Kate dismissed the idea in the series. “It was a horrible suggestion,” she said. “Many children may not want to display a symbol and may wish to maintain their privacy.”
When questioned by The Independent, Meijer initially claimed, “I forgot I said that!” before adding, “But it’s a serious point.” He explained that the idea aimed to illustrate the possibilities presented by social media, noting that when he first started donating sperm in 2007, platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp were either nonexistent or in their infancy.
“The world has changed drastically,” he said. “When Facebook came, I knew people would find each other, recipients and children. That’s what happened. People can easily create groups for donor recipient parents and talk. ‘My donor is from The Hague.’ ‘Oh, mine too!’ And they have my name.”
He emphasized that the symbol was meant to show that digital solutions exist. “People talk too much about problems. It can be simple. If they want, they can use a symbol. You have to think openly and not see problems everywhere.”
Earlier this week, The Independent spoke to Natalie and Suzanne, two donor mothers featured in the docuseries, about how their lives have been upended by discovering how many siblings their child has and their fears of potential inbreeding.
Meijer also spoke to The Independent about why he feels the series was misleading and addressed specific accusations he called “total slander.”
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