Denis Beaudoin, ex-boyfriend of octuplets mother Nadya Suleman, believes he could be kids' father

February 23, 2009

Could he be the octo-dad?

An ex-boyfriend of octuplet mom Nadya Suleman says he could be the father of her 14 kids - and wants a DNA test to prove it.

Denis Beaudoin told ABC's "Good Morning America" he dated Suleman from 1997 to 1999 and made at least three sperm donations to help her get pregnant.

"She really wanted to have kids," he said. "She asked me to donate sperm. I thought it was kind of out of the ordinary, but I cared about her so much, and we were in love."

Beaudoin said Suleman told him she had ovarian cancer and wanted to get pregnant right away. "She came out and told me if she wants to have kids, she has to have them now," he said.

He thought the donations would be part of "starting a family" together. But after they broke up, he had no idea whether Suleman, now 33, had gone through with in vitro fertilization until he called her three or four years ago.

"I heard kids crying in the background," he said. "And I go, 'Who's that?' She said, 'Those are my babies.'"

Suleman ended the conversation before Beaudoin could ask if he was the father, and he said she hasn't responded to his calls since she gave birth to octuplets Jan. 23.

She denied to ABC that he was the dad, saying all 14 kids were fathered by a platonic friend she has already notified.

But Beaudoin doesn't buy it.

"I can't take everything she says for granted," he told GMA. "I would like a DNA test."
Beaudoin, a married business owner in his 30s with two sons of his own, said he had no inkling Suleman was planning such a large family, and reacted with "shock, disbelief" when he heard about the octuplets' birth.

"This is something that's all new," he said. "It never came up to have such a huge family. It was just an urge to have a child because of not being able to."

Beaudoin said he barely recognizes the ex-girlfriend his pals nicknamed Giggles for her "infectious laugh." He showed snapshots and notes from their time together, calling her "a really great girl."

"She looks different, sounds different," he said. "She's just not the Nadya I remember."

Beaudoin said he would accept paternal responsibility if tests show he's the dad - and even if not, he said he's ready to help raise the kids because he doesn't think she can do it on her own.

"Whether or not it is or it isn't, I still extend my hand in help," he said. "She needs help. I mean it's hard. It's hard nowadays to raise two kids, let alone 14 kids."