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Dutch YouTube personality Jonathan Jacob Meijer has publicly criticized Netflix's new documentary, "Man With 1,000 Kids," following its release. The documentary, which aired on July 3, explores Meijer's extensive history as a sperm donor and makes several controversial claims about him.
Meijer, who has previously acknowledged spending up to 50,000 hours in sperm donation clinics over the past 15 years, disputes the documentary's assertion that he has fathered up to 1,000 children. In a June 2024 YouTube video, Meijer insisted the actual number is closer to 550. "I don't know where they get this number, I don't know where they base it on," he said, refuting the documentary's claims. "So, somehow they manage to magically add 450 children to my records."
The documentary portrays Meijer as a scammer who "is accused of traveling the world deceiving mothers into having his babies on a mass scale," according to Netflix's description. Meijer, however, dismissed these allegations, describing the project as "sensationalizing and misleading." He noted that he did not participate in the documentary, explaining, "It's what they think about me and what others say about me. I was right in not participating for myself, personally, because they first wanted to call it The Fertility Fraudster. That's not a title I can work with."
Despite the negative portrayal, Meijer emphasized that his intentions were to help families in need of children. "I am more sad that they decided to change the lives of all my children—my donor children," he said. "It's not about me. It's about the parents and the children."
Meijer has previously shared his motivations for his extensive sperm donation. "It seemed like something very small with a big impact, enormous impact and still the donor is in the background," he said in a 2023 YouTube video. "He's not getting awards, or fame, or money, and I found that very appealing. These men do something without wanting something in return." He added, "That, to me, felt very noble."
As the documentary continues to draw attention, Meijer remains firm in his stance, defending his actions and questioning the accuracy and intentions of Netflix's portrayal of his life and work.
