The Man With 1,000 Kids, premiering on Netflix this Wednesday, is nothing short of a shocking documentary that follows the likes of Tiger King and The Tinder Swindler. The focus of the film is Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a Dutch citizen with countless aliases, signature surfer-styled hair, and a YouTube channel devoted to his raw meat consumption.
Meijer is the title’s “man,” infamous for offering his sperm donations in person. Displaying striking physical traits such as his flamboyant hair, which multiple recipients of his donations described as attractive curls, he piques curiosity while eliciting surprise. His extraordinary locks may even encourage some to accept donations from an amateur surfer who bears resemblance to a paler variant of Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons.
Meijer’s extraordinary circumstances do not end there. He claims paternity over numerous children, with estimates reaching 600 in the Netherlands and potentially more than 1,100 worldwide, even including offspring in Australia.
The documentary illustrates how persuasive Meijer can be, recounting how he convinced one woman of his intent to help just five families before retiring from his unusual practice. Despite his seemingly well-intentioned actions, some recipients describe unsettling experiences, such as Meijer endorsing “natural conception” and promising discretion.
This documentary adds to Netflix’s repertoire of sensational films akin to the Tiger King, full of incredulity-inducing moments, as when Meijer visits a couple’s home to provide a donation in a rather unconventional manner. As one recipient puts it, “He went off to do his thing. It was the longest 45 minutes of my life,” reflecting the intense emotions and peculiar situations that encapsulate The Man With 1,000 Kids.
In the Netherlands, it’s against the law for a sperm donor to father more than 25 children. However, Meijer flouted this rule under the guise of wanting to help. The absence of Meijer, who refused to participate in an interview, is a significant flaw in the series called ‘The Man With 1000 Kids’. The reason behind his remarkable number of offspring is an enigma. Did he take pleasure in the thrill, or the manipulation of desperate pairs? Was it narcissism, a desire to populate the world with mini-mes? Only theories are provided due to Meijer’s absence. Yet, without the context provided by the central person, these theories are merely sheer speculation. The series is framed as an amusing narrative about an unusual tale but morphs into a chilling saga of deceit, control, and devastation of lives.