Topics: Netflix, TV And Film, True Crime, Crime
Ever since it landed on Netflix last week, a brand new documentary is set to go down in history as telling one of the most unnerving true crime stories of the 21st century.
The three-episode docuseries chronicles the controversial choices of 43-year-old Jonathan Meijer, a Dutch sperm donor who began donating sperm in 2007, but hit the headlines in the years that followed after it was discovered that he'd fathered countless children.
We are, of course, talking about The Man With 1,000 Kids - the torturous true tale of which has left a multitude of viewers knocked for six, despite only having been uploaded to the streaming service last week.
If haven't yet had a chance to sink your teeth into Netflix's latest hit, or you're simply unfamiliar with the stomach-wrenching story, allow us to fill you in...
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As we say, Jonathan Jacob Meijer has made a name for himself as a prolific sperm donor - yet prior to appearing in news headlines all over the world, he was a largely unknown Dutch musician and YouTube star.
Opening up on his 'career change' in a video uploaded to his channel earlier this year, Jonathan previously admitted he was initially inspired to donate his sperm after deciding he wanted to do more to help those in need.
And being that his family bore no history of cancer, diabetes, or other genetic conditions, he was deemed fit and healthy enough to make a donation.
Naturally, therefore, his 'goods' became highly sought-after by those hoping to have a child, due to his musical ability and impressive wellbeing.
Before you heap praise onto self-professed 'good samaritan' Jonathan, however, it's important to note that the legal limit of children that can be born from one man's sperm in the Netherlands is 25.
It soon transpired that Jonathan's donations weren't just confined to his home country, however - where he donated to 11 sperm banks - but also spanned several countries and continents.
In fact, he is thought to have fathered around 1,000 children.
Though the statistic itself seems pretty outrageous, it may not become immediately apparent why Jonathan's antics have been deemed so controversial.
It turns out that the issue is that there is a risk that hundreds of children - particularly those living in Europe - could have the same genes, which could lead to consanguinity (the sexual relations between people with common ancestors).
One of the babies' mothers explained in the programme: "Children who haven’t been brought up together are more likely to get attracted to each other because they see some familiarities in the face of the sibling."
After over 150 parents of his children grouped together and sought the help of the donation organisation. They were soon informed, however, that Jonathan having gone over this number isn't actually considered a criminal offence.
Though - according to ABC News - he was subsequently banned from donating from the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG).
Following a civil lawsuit, the father-of-thousands was ordered to stop donating sperm and to pay a 100,000 euro fine for each future violation.
Apparently, Jonathan Meijer continues to travel the globe as a social media star, and in a video posted just two months ago, he admitted for the first time that he must have fathered around 550 children.
The confession came as a shock to many of his followers, however, as he'd only previously confessed in 2021 to fathering 'approximately 250'.
Though Jonathan doesn't participate in the Netflix documentary, he explained in another clip posted last month: "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."
