'Octomom': Mother of octuplets describes how adult film and stripping sparked prescription drug abuse

'I was so desperate we were on the verge of homelessness, so rather than put my kids in front of the camera I decided to put myself out there'

Natalie Suleman with her children (Getty)

A woman who gave birth to octuplets has described how she became addicted to prescription painkillers after making an adult film and stripping in order to support her family.

Natalie Suleman, formally known as Nadya, became internationally famous after giving birth to eight children conceived through IVF treatment.

But the 41-year-old from California quickly turned into the focus of a vicious backlash when it emerged she already had six children and was unemployed at the time of undergoing in vitro fertilisation.

Suleman was given the moniker ‘Octomom’ in the press amid mounting interest in her life as a single mother to 14 children. She was open about her financial struggles and gave a number of media interviews to boost her income. Later, this developed into appearances in porn films, topless photo shoots and work as a stripper.

Speaking to the Daily Mail seven years after giving birth, she says falling into adult work and maintaining the ‘Octomom’ persona was something she did out of desperation as her financial situation worsened.

“Everything I ever did was for money to put food on the table,' she said.

“I fully exploited and dehumanised myself with the porn and the stripping. I was so desperate we were on the verge of homelessness, so rather than put my kids in front of the camera I decided to put myself out there.”

Suleman has kept her children shielded from the press until now and in 2010 told Oprah Winfrey Octomom had become “a carnival attraction”.

She says this led her to become addicted to prescription painkillers to numb the “self-disgust” she felt. “This is not something I ever wanted but I think every single mother can understand the challenges we face.”

Suleman, who no longer takes prescription drugs, has now returned to her previous job as a counsellor.

“They know I did it for them,“ she said of her children. ”We don't have kid conversations, we have deep and intellectual conversations about all of this. They are so smart and so aware.”