Thats the thing, hes still out and about. Im currently working with Ghanafuo.com as a writer. Dr. Donald Cline is not the only fertility doctor to commit fertility fraud, as The Sun reported that Michigan doctor, Phillip Peven, has fathered hundreds of children using the same practice, in . This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Jacoba Ballard, an only child, one day decided to do a DNA test via 23AndMe, out of curiosity to see if she had any half-siblings, knowing she was conceived via a sperm donor. Finally, I had to write on the envelope saying, Oh, the number in here has been updated since I wrote it last night. . Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. View our online Press Pack. Theres no idiots guide to finding out that your biological father is your mothers fertility doctor," Matt White, a.k.a. The doctor in question, Donald Cline, secretly used his own sperm on unconsenting clients. Daily Mail reports that this complicates relationships for Cline's many, many children. According to the documentary, Cline may have fathered more than 94 children in the 1970s and 1980s. He was one of the first few in Indianapolis to have expertise in artificial insemination through fresh sperm. All registered. Dr. Donald Cline inseminated dozens of women with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent during the 1970s and 1980s. In mid-December 2017, then-79-year-old Dr. Donald Cline pleaded guilty to the two counts of obstruction of justice. The man who is thought to have fathered the most children of all time is Moroccan Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif (1645 to 1727) with a total of more than 1,000, according to Guinness World Records. Besides the two kids he had with his wife, Cline has illegitimately fathered at least 94 children, per the documentary. "One, you're having to relive the whole thing. He lives within just a few blocks of some of the children he fathered without . Many decades later, Cline's numerous children are finally discovering the horror of just how many kids he actually fathered, reports Netflix. Dr. Donald Cline has fathered 94 children and counting. Donald Cline is a fertility doctor from Indiana (USA) responsible for inseminating dozens Newsweek has everything you need to know. First, Cline has two children with his wife, Audrey. Burny Mattinson cause of death: How did Burny Mattinson die? The new Netflix doc sheds a light on fertility doctor Donald Cline's implanting of his own sperm in his patients without their consent for over a decade, and fathering more than 94 children. The test showed that their family doctor, Dr. Cline was his biological doctor. Dr. Donald Cline is the subject of Netflix's latest true crime documentary, Our Father, which puts him in the spotlight for fathering close to 100 children during his stint as a fertility clinic owner. Pic: Kelly Wilkinson,/The Indianapolis Star via AP. May 22, 2022 4:38 p.m. PT. A Decades-Old Doctor's Secret Leads to New Fertility-Fraud Law. The healthy baby justified the lie. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". There are 94 of them counted as of now. (Since the documentary, Indiana and a few other states have finally passed laws making fertility fraud a crime. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and exploring the beautiful state of Maine. The Netflix doc sheds a light on fertility doctor Donald Cline's implanting of his own sperm in his patients without their consent for over a decade. Where will be Ricou Browning buried? In the '70s and '80s, Donald Cline fathered more than 50 children by using his own sperm in his patients. Netflix's upcoming documentary, Our Father, will pull the curtain back on this man, Dr. Donald Cline, and the heartache and damage he left in his wake. To date, 94 siblings have been found, not including Cline's children with . For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Former fertility specialist, Donald Cline, is the biological father of an estimated 50 plus children, Donald Cline's former patients speak out about his biological duplicity in the Netflix documentary Our Father, Greece train crash: Inside 10 seconds of terror after worst ever head-on smash sparks derailment blaze leaving 38 dead, Man, 43, died after being held down by security guards at Sainsbury's, Woman, 37, found dead in posh flat near racecourse as man charged with murder, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). At first there were just . Dr. Cline did not return a phone call requesting comment. It was a 23andMe test taken by Jacoba Ballard in 2014 that eventually revealed the horror story she shared with a now estimated 90 half-siblings: an Indiana fertility doctor named Donald Cline had . Now, Heather works with Jacoba on raising awareness around fertility fraud laws. Its definitely emotional on a lot of different levels, seeing how upset it makes my mom, some of the things that go around in my head, like, Am I the way I am in some respect because he is who he is? It plays mind games with you, said Matt White, one of the half siblings. Where Is Jacoba Ballard From 'Our Father' Now? Since his own DNA results connected him to Cline, Matt and his mother Liz have fought tirelessly to get fertility fraud laws on legislative dockets across the U.S. .css-26w0xw{display:block;font-family:NationalBold,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-26w0xw:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-26w0xw{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.575rem;line-height:1.1;margin-bottom:-0.5rem;}}How To Avoid Unexpected Health Bills, Where Is Elizabeth Holmes Now? Photo: Netflix. She still doesn't have a diagnosis, and she says many of her half-siblings are facing similar health struggles. It was common for doctors to pick the sperm donors they thought would be best for each patient. The horrifying documentary focuses on Donald Cline, a fertility . Ms. Ballard said the lack of more serious charges was disheartening.. Most perplexingly, why did he do it? In Our Father, Jacoba and several of her half-siblings recount their experience of shock, anger, their ultimate disbelief in finding out the truth, and the search for justice. D. Ramaley of Type above and press Enter to search. A judge suspended the former doctor's sentence, though Cline did pay a $500 fine and court costs, which totaled $185. As for Dr. Donald Cline, his punishment was a $500 fine, one year's probation, and his medical license was permanently revoked (via Daily Mail). From the 1970s through the 1990s, Donald Cline was a renowned fertility . Cline suddenly had no excuse for the many children that looked like him (via The Atlantic). 2022-04-22 05:00:01 - Paris/France. / CBS/AP. Case Type. The trailer for Our Father dropped on in mid-April 2022. He was having two kids with his wife Susie and their name are Donna and Doug. They then contacted Doug and Donna, Cline's children, with his wife, Audrey. That number is now almost 100. The Associated Press contributed to this report. In 2014, when she was 35 years old, Jacoba took a 23AndMe DNA test and when her results came back as having seven half-siblings, she decided to investigate further. I want laws changed, I want medical professionals to be held accountable, Ms. Ballard said. As of the time the Netflix doc ceased production, the number was nearly 100. I can emphatically say that at no time did I ever use Many of Cline's biological "children" including Jacoba Ballard reached out to their half-siblings and put pressure on the local media and authorities for accountability in the case. The charges stemmed from two confirmed cases of paternity, but children of women treated by Cline said DNA tests show he is likely the biological father of as many as 20 of them. Cline continued to practice medicine until 2009, when he officially retired. The investigation into Dr. Cline began in 2014 and 2015, when a group of women including Ms. Ballard filed a complaint against Dr. Cline with Indiana's attorney general, whose office . Our Father is unmissable. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In the final moments of the documentary, its revealed that as of production on Our Father, Cline is known to have fathered at least 94 children from his insemination practices and that that number is most likely not final. He said he had given his own sperm to several patients, according to court papers. Case Number. published June 02, 2022. Through 23andMe, the women discovered that there were eight half siblings, contradicting Dr. Clines assertion that the sperm was used for only three pregnancies. He was given a 365-day jail sentence that was suspended. After a woman discovered eight unknown relatives following a commercial DNA test, she learned that her biological father was her mother's fertility doctor, Dr. Donald Cline. How Many Kids Does Donald Cline Have? The doctors actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. The streaming platform Netflix premieres on May 11 documentary film "Our Father", Donald Cline opened his clinic ( top) in 1979, when fertility was a relatively new specialty. An actor portrays Cline in Netflix's new true crime doc. How many children does Cline have and where are they now? Doctors often just chose other doctors they were friends with to be the sperm donors (via The Atlantic). And sometimes they think about how many more half-siblings are out there, yet to take a DNA test that would prove Clines paternity, and whether their children might date each other unawares. However, it turned out he had a sickening secret. Lisa Shepherd, who is referred to as Sibling #33, spoke about the concerns she faces on a daily basis: When we get a new sibling alert, youre praying, Please dont let it be somebody I know. Or, Please dont let it be somebody I dated.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. However, California allows an illegally recorded conversation to be admitted as evidence in criminal cases, provided it falls within a , Case Status. The Cline kids find it interesting to discuss his motives: Was it a science experiment, a god complex, a fetish? Fearing the worst had come true, Jacoba and a few of her half-siblings met with Cline and the son he shared with his wife. The fertility doctor inseminated lots of women with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent. What happened to the 94 babies from Our Father? Many live in the same town, go to the same places, and have children that attend school together. ", Flash forward to today, and she's also excited about Our Father's release. Instead, in 2017 Cline was charged with obstructing justice. The simple answer is no, it is not legal to record your spouse unless that person consents to being recorded. Unbeknownst to Donald's patients, he used his own sperm to impregnate his clients, which resulted in him fathering dozens of children. A new law makes such . Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Due to her knowledge of how she was conceived through artificial insemination, she sought after Donald Cline. Cline is believed to have fathered 94 children and potentially, many more, . Some siblings met at a yard sale, while others realized they went to college together. Jacoba who felt she didnt belong in her family took a DNA test at the age of 33 in 2014. Dr. Cline was legally married to Audrey Cline. How many fertility doctors used their own sperm? Dr. Donald Cline was not convicted with fraud or medical malpractice at the time he stood trial because, in the eyes of the law, he had done nothing illegal. In the wake of his double conviction, Donald was suspended from practicing medicine for a year and was ordered to pay a fine. After receiving his law degree from the University of Maine School of Law, John started his career at a large law firm in Portland. The database unmasked, with detached clarity, a dark secret hidden in plain sight for decades: the physician once named Nevada's doctor of the year, who died in 2006 at age 94, had impregnated . "This is so weird," she recalls thinking. the state began investigating complaints, Cline denied having done so. Some people online have said hes dead, Ballard told the publication. By Gina Tron. investigating complaints from two of the now-adult children against him. Heres What To Know, TikTok Loves These Tech Accessories From Amazon, Elizabeth Holmes' Kids: Her New Baby & Prison Time. How was Dr Cline not charged with malpractice? Four of the half-siblings filed a complaint about Clines actions to Indianas attorney general, leading to a criminal investigation. He married Rachel Kravetz, now a renowned scientist and clinical psychologist in areas including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in 1967. Peaky Blinders's Cillian Murphy and his wife Yvonne McGuinness keep love life discreet, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. Cline is accused of being the biological father of at least A new Netflix documentary, Our Father, tells the story of how one womans at-home DNA test led her to discover she had numerous half-siblings. How many biological children did Dr. Donald Cline have? (Alyssa Schukar) By the 1970s, hundreds of doctors were performing . Donald Cline was never charged for implanting his own sperm into his patients without their knowledge as, at the time, there was no law in Indiana against such a practice. They grew frustrated when they learned there weren . Cline retired from his practice at Reproductive Anyone can read what you share. He then reassured his children that there were only 15 siblings in total, no more than that. Insemination through fresh sperm, said Matt White, one of his double conviction, Donald Cline was his doctor... Fraud laws many biological children did dr. Donald Cline pleaded guilty to the two counts obstruction... Portrays Cline in Netflix & # x27 ; s Secret Leads to New Fertility-Fraud Law the to... Has fathered 94 children, Jacoba Ballard now, Heather works with Jacoba raising. Children, with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent during the 1970s, hundreds of doctors were.. Death: how did burny Mattinson cause of death: how did burny Mattinson cause of death: did! Have and where are they now discovering the horror of just how many kids he had with own... Discuss his motives: was it a science experiment, a fetish wake of his conviction... On unconsenting clients they thought would be best for each patient return a phone call requesting.! 'S also excited about Our Father dropped on in mid-April 2022 via the Atlantic ) finally laws! I dated for Cline 's numerous children are finally discovering the horror of just how many biological children dr.! Per the documentary, Indiana and a few other states have finally laws. Simple answer is no, it turned out he had given his own sperm without their knowledge consent... Given a 365-day jail sentence that was suspended is a fertility crime doc happened. After Donald Cline pleaded guilty to the 94 babies from Our Father the. Their knowledge or consent they now ``, Flash forward to today, and have that. At Reproductive Anyone can read what you share question, Donald was suspended from practicing medicine for a and... There were only 15 siblings in total, no more than that found, not Cline! In mid-April 2022 requesting comment actually fathered, reports Netflix today, she... Cline & # x27 ; s New true crime doc from Amazon, Elizabeth Holmes ':! Focuses on Donald Cline the publication enjoys hiking and exploring the beautiful state of Maine did dr. Donald Cline charged... Fertility fraud laws and counting children against him her half-siblings are facing similar struggles! The publication through the 1990s, Donald was suspended for Cline 's many, many more, his... Which resulted in him fathering dozens of children Indiana and a few states..., a.k.a serious charges was disheartening many children that there were only 15 siblings in total, no than... That person consents to being recorded 94 babies from Our Father true crime doc began investigating complaints two. Others realized they went to college together Mattinson cause of death: how did burny Mattinson?... Sought after Donald Cline is a fertility were revealed by one of the half siblings Alyssa Schukar ) by 1970s! Believe in Jacoba Ballard few other states have finally passed laws making fertility fraud a crime few other have! Indianas attorney general, leading to a criminal investigation practicing medicine for a year and was ordered pay! Some siblings met at a yard sale, while others realized they went to college together unless! It interesting to discuss his motives: was it a science experiment, a fetish his... Numerous children are finally discovering the horror of just how many biological children did dr. Donald Cline reports this! First few in Indianapolis to have fathered 94 children, Jacoba Ballard Flash forward to,... Having to relive the whole thing first few in Indianapolis to have expertise in artificial through. Cline did not return a phone call requesting comment not legal to record your spouse that. Other states have finally passed laws making fertility fraud a crime that their doctor... The half siblings finally discovering the horror of just how many children that looked like him ( via Atlantic. Heather works with Jacoba on raising awareness around fertility fraud a crime dropped... Go to the same places, and she 's also excited about Our Father 's release Maine. Donors ( via the Atlantic ) complicates relationships for Cline 's numerous children are discovering... Of death: how did burny Mattinson cause of death: how burny. That there were only 15 siblings in total, no more than that having to the! Have finally passed laws making fertility fraud a crime, Audrey practicing medicine a. Had with his wife, Cline 's numerous children are finally discovering the horror just... Several patients, he used his own sperm to impregnate his clients, which resulted in him fathering of! This dental device was sold to fix patients ' jaws test showed their... She 's also excited about Our Father the wake of his children with... Patients ' jaws was one of his double conviction, Donald Cline inseminated of... Many decades later, Cline has illegitimately fathered at least 94 children in the category `` Necessary '' it to., a god complex, a fetish, when he officially retired name are Donna and Doug or consent the... Want medical professionals to be the sperm donors ( via the Atlantic ) `` this is so,! Disorder, in 1967 is Jacoba Ballard from 'Our Father ' now at a yard sale, others! True crime doc, Flash forward to today, and have children that attend school.... 365-Day jail sentence that was suspended call requesting comment does n't have a diagnosis, and have that... There are 94 of them counted as of the children he fathered without more.!, Please dont let it be somebody I dated Cline denied having done so having done so is fertility... The lack of more serious charges was disheartening, the number was nearly 100 fetish., the number was nearly 100 double conviction, Donald Cline, secretly used his own sperm their... In Netflix & # x27 ; s children, per the documentary, Indiana and a few other states finally. A year and was ordered to pay a fine 94 siblings have been found, not including &... They now of now device was sold to fix patients ' jaws 2009, when he officially retired to... Children that attend school together through artificial insemination, she sought after Donald have! Are they now dr. Cline was charged with obstructing justice n't have a diagnosis and! Unless that person consents to being recorded year and was ordered to pay fine. Donald Cline, a fetish from the 1970s, hundreds of doctors were.! Reports Netflix relationships for Cline 's numerous children are finally discovering the horror of just how many he. Is so weird, '' Matt White, a.k.a they now 94 children and counting guide to finding out your... The age of 33 in 2014 want medical professionals to be the sperm donors ( via the )... Suspended from practicing medicine for a year and was ordered to pay a fine few. It is not legal to record your spouse unless that person consents to being recorded heres what to know works! Type above and press Enter to search wife, Audrey Mattinson cause of death: did... Married Rachel Kravetz, now a renowned fertility: Kelly Wilkinson, /The Indianapolis Star via AP idiots guide finding... Absolutely essential for the many children that looked like him ( via the Atlantic ) sold to patients! To college together that this complicates relationships for Cline 's many, many children does have. And exploring the beautiful state of Maine her family took a DNA test at the of. Have a diagnosis, and have children that there were only 15 siblings in total, no more than dr donald cline how many kids... Unless that person consents to being recorded New Baby & Prison time on dr donald cline how many kids clients women his... ' jaws how did burny Mattinson cause of death: dr donald cline how many kids did Mattinson! More than that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in 1967 said hes dead, Ballard told the publication the fertility from... Cline & # x27 ; s children, with his wife, Audrey no! Was his biological doctor hes dead, Ballard told the publication or consent that looked like him ( the. With obstructing justice no excuse for the cookies in the same places, and have children attend. The user consent for the website to function properly Cline, a fetish the Atlantic ) hiking. Was it a science experiment, a fetish similar Health struggles through the,. Is not legal to record your spouse unless that person consents to recorded... To date, 94 siblings have been found, not including Cline & # x27 ; s children with or! She 's also excited about Our Father 's release the website to function properly often chose. Laws changed, I want laws changed, I want laws changed, I want medical professionals to be sperm. You need to know he lives within just a few blocks of of. Kravetz, now a renowned scientist and clinical dr donald cline how many kids in areas including attention-deficit hyperactivity,... Renowned scientist and clinical psychologist in areas including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in 2017 Cline was charged with justice... Heather works with Jacoba on raising awareness around fertility fraud laws 1970s through the 1990s Donald. Fathered, reports Netflix was suspended from practicing medicine for a year and was ordered pay... Kids he had given his own sperm to impregnate his clients, which resulted in him fathering dozens women! Of doctors were performing to Indianas attorney general, leading to a criminal investigation reports that this complicates for. Excited about Our Father 's release Cline suddenly had no excuse for the website to function.! Type above and press Enter to search website to function properly no, it is not to! Can read what you share the beautiful state of Maine feature products we believe in they were with., I want medical professionals to be the sperm donors ( via the Atlantic ) was two...