Oמ June 2021, a reporter called Piet Rampedi wrote an article about Gosiame and her husband, a couple from Gauteng, South Africa, claiming she was pregnant with 10 babies. The article announced that if all goes well with the delivery, Gosiame would break the Guinness World Record for giving birth to the biggest number of babies in one pregnancy. But as soon as reports about the birth came out, some details about Gosiame's delivery and the babies didn't add up, and doubts about the story have started to arise.
The Mother in Question
To figure out the story we should start at the beginning. Who is the mother that allegedly carried 10 babies and delivered them into the world? Gosiame Thamara Sithole is a 37-year-old woman who lives in South Africa. She shares a modest home with her husband, Teboho Tsotesti, who is currently unemployed, and their six-year-old twin boys.
When she got pregnant, Gosiame claims she was initially told by doctors that she is carrying six babies, a staggering number of fetuses in its own right. However, as the pregnancy progressed, Gosiame seemed to be growing in size.
Another Two Babies Were Hiding Away
Eventually, it comes to a point where the stomach is so expanded that it’s difficult to tell where one baby begins and the other ends. Although Gosiame gave birth to 10 babies, she was under the impression that she was only pregnant with eight.
Before learning that she was pregnant with eight children, Gosiame actually thought that she only had six babies growing in her womb. She shares, “Initially there were six children. Only to find that the other two were in the wrong tube. My legs were painful. The doctors did further scans and they found the children were in the wrong tube. That was sorted and I have been okay since then. I can’t wait for my children. We have already given them names.”
Media Flocked to Capture Gosiame’s Story
It’s not every day that someone gives birth to so many children. When the media caught wind of Gosiame’s situation, they were eager to share her story. IOL captured Gosiame’s experience a few weeks before the delivery. Talking about the pregnancy, Gosiame and her husband admitted that they were shocked by the pregnancy.
“I didn’t believe it. I doubted it. I was convinced that if it was more, it would be twins or triplets, not more than that. When the doctor told me, I took the time to believe it. Even when I saw the scans I didn't believe it. But, as time went by, I realized it was indeed true. I battled to sleep at night though," Gosiame said.
A Roller Coaster of Emotions Building Up to Delivery
The article about the family also discussed their problematic financial situation. Growing a family is a big responsibility and demands a lot of time, money, and energy. Gosiame says she realized it as soon as she was told she has eight babies. The number of fetuses led to ongoing concerns and emotional difficulties during the pregnancy.
She said, “I am shocked by my pregnancy. It was tough at the beginning. I was sick. It was hard for me. It’s still tough but I am used to it now. I don’t feel the pain anymore, but it’s still a bit tough. I just pray for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition, and for me and my children to come out alive. I would be pleased about it.”
Concern Keeping Her up at Night
Gosiame works as a retail store manager, and her husband is unemployed. Being told that she was pregnant with eight children, when she already had twins at home, was a tough pill to swallow. The pregnancy would no doubt be risky, and the result is rather expensive. Needless to say, Gosiame spent many sleepless nights worrying about her unborn children.
She shares, “How would they fit in the womb? Would they survive? What if they came out conjoined at the head, in the stomachs or hands? Like, what would happen? I asked myself all these questions until the doctor assured me that my womb was starting to expand inside. God made a miracle and my children stayed in the womb without any complications.”
What About the Father’s Opinion?
It wasn’t only Gosiame who had a million thoughts bouncing around in her mind. Her husband was equally as amazed by the situation, admitting that he was also overwhelmed by shock.
Teboho shared, “I could not believe it. I felt like one of God’s chosen children. I felt blessed to be given these kinds of blessings when many people out there need children. It’s a miracle which I appreciate. I had to go do my own research on whether a person could really conceive eight children. It was a new thing. I knew about twins, triplets, and even quadruplets. But after I found out that these things do happen, and saw my wife’s medical records, I got even more excited. I can’t wait to have them in my arms.”
A Risky and Unique Situation
Have you ever heard of a woman pregnant with ten babies? Probably not! Professor Dini Mawela, the deputy head of the school of Medicine at the Sefako Makgatho Health Services University explains that Gosiame’s circumstance is incredibly rare. Normally, multiple fetuses are caused by fertility treatments.
Professor Mawela says, “It’s quite a unique situation. I don’t know how often it happens. It’s extremely high risk (pregnancy). It’s a highly complex and high-risk situation. The danger is that, because there is not enough space in the womb for the children, the tendency is that they will be small. What would happen is that they would take them out pre-term because there is a risk if they keep them longer in there. The babies will come out small, chances of survival compromised. But all this depends on how long she carried them for.”
The Pregnancy Was Completely Natural
Professor Mawela was the first to point out that multiple fetuses are normally the result of fertility treatment. Without the help of IVF and other treatments, parents could be pregnant with twins, and maybe triplets. But not normally 10 babies!
Professor Mawela shares, “Remember, when they do fertility treatment, they inject as many eggs as possible to increase the chances of conception because the assumption is that some of them would die. But they might all survive. So, I don't know whether she conceived this naturally, which is possible, or whether this is a product of fertility treatment,” Mawela added.
However, Gosiame confirms that her pregnancy was all-natural and that she was not on any form of fertility treatment.
However, Gosiame confirms that her pregnancy was all-natural and that she was not on any form of fertility treatment.
The Delivery
At 29 weeks, reports said Gosiame was rushed to the hospital in Pretoria and gave birth to seven baby boys and three girls. It seemed as if Gosiame had managed to accomplish the unbelievable - at least that’s what everyone was told. Reports went on to say that the babies were kept in incubators since the chance of surviving when being born at 29 weeks is slim.
The fact that the babies were apparently taken to incubators, and weren't introduced to their parents immediately, is the first thing that raised some red flags in the whole story. Responding to the news of the birth, husband Teboho gave an evasive comment. He said, “It’s seven boys and three girls. She was seven months and seven days pregnant. I am happy. I am emotional. I can’t talk much. Let’s talk again in the morning please.” But the conversation didn’t exactly continue in the morning.
Could It Be a New World Record?
With so much uncertainty surrounding the birth of Gosiame’s children, no one can be sure about whether the world record has been broken or not. The previous record was held by Malian Halima Cissé who gave birth to nine children in Morocco.
Before that, American mother Nadya Suleman delivered eight children in 2009, conceived through IVF. But doubts about the situation of the babies and the pregnancy itself make Gosiame's record-breaking story questionable.
The Mystery Starts to Bubble to the Surface
In the case of Malian Halima Cissé, who gave birth to nine babies, photographs of the infants were shared across the internet straight after the delivery. However, not a single hair of Gosiame’s children has been shared with the public after they were born.
You could attribute the lack of photos to the babies' health condition, but there is no doubt that it raises some questions. Being born so prematurely has raised a lot of concerns about whether the babies really survived. While stories of the “Tembisa 10” have spread across social media like wildfire, the truth of the story remains questionable.
The Story Is Dripping in Scandal
So what truly happened? Did Gosiame actually give birth to 10 babies, or was it all fake news? OL, the platform where the article about the story was first released, claims that their report was true and the pregnancy was really as well as the babies. They claim that the attempt to paint the story as fake is just part of a big cover-up for medical negligence.
These reports say that Gosiame delivered five babies naturally and underwent a Caesarean for the remaining five. Yet the hospital didn’t have enough incubators to care for the babies. Nurses told a dazed and confused Gosiame varying stories. When the mother was finally strong enough to move, she went to the ICU and demanded to see her babies. However, she was denied access.
Is It All Fake?
More doubts were raised by the father, Tebogo Tsotetsi, who announced that he didn’t see Gosiame or the babies since the alleged birth. “He made several attempts to visit his girlfriend and the babies but she has failed to disclose her whereabouts and the condition of their babies. The family has resolved and concluded that there are no decuplets born between Tebogo Tsotetsi and Gosiame Sithole until proven otherwise.”
South Africa’s National Department of Health says they investigated the case and couldn’t find any evidence the children existed. Reports say Gosiame has been taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Her attorney, Refiloe Mokoena, said she is being held against her will. Despite that, recent reports say that Gosiame's medical tests show that she had not even been pregnant recently. As it stands now, there is more mystery than clarity shrouding the story, and the fate of the babies, if they were real, is unknown.
Jon and Kate Plus 8 Used to Be a Popular Reality Show, Where Are They Now?
A home containing two parents and eight children sounds like the very definition of ‘chaotic’. Throw a camera crew into the mix to record the fun and you get TV gold. This was the simple premise of TLC’s hit show Jon and Kate Plus 8, which followed the parents from the series title and their brood.
A home containing two parents and eight children sounds like the very definition of ‘chaotic’. Throw a camera crew into the mix to record the fun and you get TV gold. This was the simple premise of TLC’s hit show Jon and Kate Plus 8, which followed the parents from the series title and their brood.
How Romance Blossomed
Jon and Kate worked for the same company and met at an employee get-together back in 1997. They were a young couple, just 22 and 24-years old respectively, but their courtship moved fast. They were married before the second anniversary of their meeting and before they knew it, they were thinking of starting a family.
As a sign of things to come, Kate’s first pregnancy was not restricted to carrying just one fetus. She conceived twins who were born in October 2000. Named Mady and Cara, it’s fair to say they didn’t know that their life was to be lived in the spotlight because of what was coming in the future!
Help Getting Pregnant
Mady and Cara were in their own way the result of a miracle. Medical staff had told Jon and Kate that they may have trouble conceiving, so they opted to undergo special fertility treatments. Whatever the doctors did must have worked extra well because the couple got double what they were hoping for!
After a while, with a stable family and support network around them, Kate felt that the time was right to increase her family. She would later confess to literally begging her husband for one more child which would make their family complete. No one could have foreseen what was going to happen.
Jaw-Dropping News
So Kate got pregnant once again. But when they did an ultrasound, Jon and Kate were hit with unexpected news - they were expecting not one baby, but six. To say it was a shock to the family is an understatement. Kate has gone on record saying that Jon was usually a tower of strength for her in times of trouble, but that he was visibly shaken by the news.
Jon himself didn’t bat this accusation away. He said that he felt faint at the bombshell news. Such a reaction is understandable, who would react differently to the news they are about to have six newborns at the same time? The pregnancy started with the couple thinking they would have one more mouth to feed, so you can see why the news made them panic.
Reality Starts Hitting Home
As Kate’s size grew owing to the six new lives she was carrying, so did the couple’s worries about their new, extended family. There was so much to figure out. From the cost of groceries and clothes, to whether their house was big enough to adequately hold ten people, concerns kept pilling up.
Things were made extra difficult for Jon after he lost his job. The family had bought their home in Pennsylvania and it had adequate space for the parents and three children at a push - but not for another five youngsters. With no income, it looked like a tough future for the Gosselins.
Community Help
When the children were born - all six of them - the family’s local community rallied round to help the family. Volunteers assisted the Gosselins in practically every way that would be needed to run a household containing so many people. After all, going from a family of four people to a family of ten in the blink of an eye is a steep learning curve!
The Gosselins’ story was picked up by the Discovery Health channel, which ran a 60-minute special show about them. The Discovery team created a great documentary and handled the family's story sensitively. It was this documentary that shone the spotlight on the family of ten and which introduced them to the world.
Getting to Know the Family
The first Discovery Health special about the family was such a hit that the channel commissioned another almost straight away. Accepting the cameras into the childrens’ lives so soon was a smart move by Jon and Kate. It helped them get used to their presence- which was soon going to be a constant.
It was around this time that TLC started taking notice of the family. They understood that there was pure TV gold just waiting to be mined from the family’s life together. They sold their vision to Jon and Kate by telling them that they could record their children growing up for them because the parents would be too busy to do so!
Baby Steps
The first few appearances on TV, both on Discovery Health and then on TLC’s Jon and Kate Plus 8, gave a glimpse into the family’s lives. Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of their lives was the absence of crockery from their home. All meals were served on disposable paper plates.
It makes sense, thinking about it. Time spent washing dishes by a parent is time that could be spent doing something much more productive for one of the nine other people sharing their living space. Things like doing the almost five daily loads of laundry!
Telling All to Oprah
The Gosselins soon became famous nationwide. Their own show had made them stars in demand, with Oprah Winfrey being perhaps the most famous person to invite them onto a chat show. The family decamped to the star’s studio in 2008, where Kate told her megastar interviewer about the moment her pregnancy was confirmed.
After her first two children were conceived using fertility treatments, Kate said that she knew very soon into her second pregnancy that she was again expecting more than one child. When the doctors at the medical center whispered amongst themselves rather than keeping her informed, she knew the news was big.
It’s Over
Despite - or maybe because of - the stresses that come with reality TV, Jon and Kate called time on their marriage after two seasons of their show. The number of inhabitants in the family reduced by one as Jon moved out. The show continued, however, following Kate as a single parent juggling the incredible demands made on her.
Things weren’t so cut and dried though. The show had had a good run for two seasons and been a rating winner for TLC, but watching it back now it’s clear that cracks were showing. Just a year after the full family had been sitting on Oprah’s couch - and anywhere else in the studio there was a space - it was all over.
Aloha Oh No
For viewers who didn’t have their magnifying glasses out and who wasn’t looking for clues, the separation may have taken them by surprise. This would in part be because one episode of season two showed Jon and Kate renewing their wedding vows in Hawaii. These didn’t seem like the actions of a couple on the edge.
The announcement of their split came within 12 months of when they stood in the shadow of a majestic waterfall on Maui and reasserted their love for each other. If it was a last-ditch attempt to save their marriage, it, unfortunately, didn’t work. It was also going to signal the end of their time on the airwaves too.
Confirmation on TV
Jon and Kate’s separation was confirmed in an episode of the show which made them stars. TV had taken them to the heights of fame but it had also chewed them up and spat them out. With viewers understandably interested in their fate, they also gave an interview to Meredith Vieira about the breakdown.
Kate spoke of her determination to make her marriage work. She told her interviewer that as she stood on that Hawaiian album, with what must have felt like the eyes of the TV-viewing public on her, that she truly meant the solemn vows she was re-taking. Fighting back tears, she spoke of how she frequently thought of the renewal.
Feeling the Pressure
In their post-separation interview, Jon and Kate Gosselin touched on many other aspects of how their family life played out in front of the cameras. Tempers sometimes hit boiling point as they bickered over the best way to bring up their eight kids. Any parent will tell you, it’s hard enough with one!
Some said that it was a miracle they lasted as long as they did. When cracks start to show, we all know that a television camera doesn’t conceal them. It amplifies them. Every angry look, every cuss, every stare: they all look ten times worse when they’re shown on screen than when they’re experienced in real life.
Accusations Start Flying
It didn’t take long before accusations of improper conduct by Jon Gosselin began cropping up. Rather unexpectedly, a member of the family’s home help was the first to come forward. The family’s nanny went public and said that she and the patriarch of the house had been having an affair for the duration of the time she was employed.
Other accusations followed before Us Weekly broke the news that they claimed was an exclusive scoop. They sensationally linked Jon and a local third-grade teacher called Deanna Hummel. The story quoted people close to the woman in question, all of whom warned her away from the former reality TV star.
Refusing to Take Responsibility
Deanna’s brother Jason was one of the people who had been approached by Us Weekly. He gave his sister some tough love with the comments which were attributed to him. He said that a relationship with a man like Jon “wasn’t healthy” for his sibling but that she also wasn’t doing much to help herself.
Despite the media coverage of his relationship with Deanna, Jon Gosselin still claimed that there was no foundation to the story. Confusingly, he admitted to making what he called a “poor judgment” but he didn’t specify what this related to. It was almost like he wanted to own up, but couldn’t take that final step to a full confession.
The Show’s Future
Like every good showbiz trouper, Kate declared that the show must go on. And it did, but without her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s name in the title. Jon took this as the ultimate betrayal and it began a long, ugly, and very public spat between the former lovers. Renamed simply Kate Plus 8, TLC continued broadcasting the family’s story.
Kate remained in the family home in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, but this was a last and fleeting reminder of the good times. Kate and Jon did not appear on the show together again, even though Jon was given some time alone at the property when Kate was not there. As soon as this arrangement expired, he left.
Divorce Finalized
The nature of reality TV is that as soon as someone has a camera pointed in their direction, they feel a need to over-share or simply exaggerate. Maybe the subject feels that their views have at last been validated and it’s time to show the world the real them. Kate went in a bit too deep in June 2009.
She spoke - possibly erroneously - of how the parents of multiple birth children are more susceptible to separations than parents whose children are born individually. She told the camera that she didn’t want to end up being part of that statistic. It’s not certain how true it actually was, but the maternal guilt was weighing heavy on Kate.
Jon Steps up a Gear
When Jon Gosselin’s name was removed from the show’s title, it acted as a catalyst for the father of the family to get really angry. As the divorce from his wife was reaching its latter stages, Jon made a shocking appearance on Larry King Life to put across his side of the story.
He told the show’s host that he had a dawning or a moment when everything came together and became clear to him. This clarity manifested itself in him no longer wanting his children to appear under the spotlight of national and international TV. The underlying feeling was that this was about his former partner and her name in the show, rather than their shared kids.
The Network Get Involved
TLC wasn’t willing to let go of the Gosselin family, one of their most prized assets, so easily. They took legal action against Jon in October 2009, accusing him of breach of contract. Jon counter-sued and accused the network of exploiting his children. It was all starting to get as messy as his and Kate’s divorce.
It took four long and drawn-out months before the two parties were able to settle. But if anyone thought that this was the end of bitter processes related to the Gosselins being conducted in public, they were wrong. The war of words from the same mouths that said “I do” was only just starting.
Talking Trash
After their divorce was finalized and Kate got the family home and legal custody of all eight kids, Jon once again aired his dirty laundry in for all to see. When it was announced that Kate was to appear on Dancing With the Stars, he made a very public appeal to obtain legal custody of his children.
Yep, roll those eyes, Kate. We know that your appearances on the dancefloor weren’t the most accomplished which will ever appear on TV, but you tried! And you were also making money to support your kids as you did so. It’s admirable. What’s less admirable is your ex-husband referring to you as an “absentee mom”.
New Partners
Both Jon and Kate seemed keen to meet new people after the shackles of their marriage were removed. Jon was romantically linked with a string of women, including Kate Major, who would later find her way into the gossip magazines when she married Michael Lohan, father of Lindsey.
He was also reportedly seeing Hailey Glassman and Morgan Christie, both of whom were younger than him. Kate, meanwhile, was rumored to be dating her personal bodyguard Steve Neild. When this relationship faded away, online media mogul Jeff Prescott claimed to be dating Kate, though she denied this.
The Truth About Kate and Jeff
Entertainment Tonight wasn’t convinced by Kate’s protestations about what she claimed was her non-relationship with Jeff Prescott. They did some digging and found that not only was Jeff’s claim about the pair true but that the duo’s feelings towards each other amounted to much more than a casual acquaintance. This clearly meant more!
Prescott had no qualms about telling the press about the development of his and Kate’s feelings for each other. Obviously hurt by Kate’s denial that there was ever anything between them, Jeff hit back with the claim that he was all set to appear on Kate Plus 8 as her new partner. Just think of Jon’s rage had that gone ahead.
Finding Love for Kate
Kate’s refusal to admit that she was in a relationship with Jeff might have had something to do with TLC’s plans for her. In what some might claim was a cynical ploy, the network launched a show in which they wanted to find a man to date Kate and effectively replace Jon. And lo, Kate Plus Date was born.
A glammed-up Kate wasn’t going to be alone as she sailed the seas of singledom, looking for fish. Rachel DeAlto and Adam LoDolce acted as her wingman and wingwoman who whittled down a list of potential suitors to ten. This new reality show also showed Kate learning more about dating, which was a handy guide for other single moms (of fewer children, presumably).
Cupid’s Arrow Missed
Kate Plus Date introduced our heroine to ten different guys with whom the experts thought she’d get on. Alongside a fun task for Kate and her potential beau was another which placed more emphasis on deep compatibility. The stage was set for a woman who had lived an important part of her life on reality TV to take the next step in the same format.
Unfortunately, it didn’t quite pan out that way for Kate. Despite there being a couple of guys with who she clearly hit it off, none of them developed into a longer-lasting relationship. Maybe Kate was cautious so soon after her marriage, with it a case of being once bitten and very much twice shy.
Dancing With the Star
Kate’s time in the limelight was eked out a little further when she appeared in Dancing With the Stars. It wasn’t a great publicity move. Her two left feet meant she was the butt of all the jokes when it came to judging her dancing out on the floor, but the behind-the-scenes footage of Kate was also less than flattering.
Her partner in the paso doble, Tony Dolvani, clearly struggled to make any magic with Kate. She more than most contestants had a good excuse for being tired and finding it hard to practice though! However, her refusal to listen to the seasoned pro was her downfall and the two were eliminated from the competition.
Step Back, Kate
Kate reached perhaps the bottom of the barrel when she and her two eldest daughters appeared on the TODAY show. Twins Mady and Cara were supposedly there, to tell the truth about what it was like growing up in the huge family, but the interview descended into farce. Kate dominated exchanges with the presenter instead of allowing the girls to talk.
When the timid twins spoke, they merely - and meekly - agreed with the forceful points put forward by their mother. Maybe it was a newfound nervousness that two Gosselin children were feeling in front of the camera. More likely was an embarrassment for their mother who was appearing more and more unhinged.
To Mom’s or Dad’s?
As is usually the case following a divorce, the arguments between Jon and Kate got especially ugly when custody of the children was the talking point. Their 13-year-old daughter, Hannah, had an appointment to get her teeth checked out which soon descended into a loud, verbal argument between the two adults in the waiting area.
That day, Hannah would go back to her dad’s place with him. But she wasn’t the only one who was turning away from mom and more towards dad. Another of the sextuplets, Collin, was having all kinds of problems that required full parental support from both sides. This wasn’t necessarily what he got.
Collin Abandons Kate
Kate’s suggestion of how to deal with Collin’s issues was stark. She packed him away to an institution for children suffering behavioral problems, where he’d be expected to live for months on end. Jon saw red at the suggestion and withdrew his son, who had explained that he felt like a circus freak at the center.
Kate’s decision to wrench Collin from his family life and drop him into a place where he felt uncomfortable was the final straw for the young man. He turned his back on his mother who had carried him and five other babies in her womb and went to live with his dad. He also had one more trick up his adolescent sleeve.
Collin Backs Colleen
The relationship between Kate and one of her biological sons, Collin, deteriorated so badly that she didn’t even attend the hearing at which Jon was given custody of the boy. That doesn’t seem to matter to the young man in the middle. On Mother’s Day 2020, he posted on social media how much he adored his dad’s girlfriend instead.
Together with his sister Hannah, Collin lives with Jon and his dad’s partner Colleen. The limelight is far behind dad and his two children now as they live quiet lives away from the glare of the camera. They’ve focused on getting their lives back on track and it appears to have succeeded, away from the woman who always seemed to put fame ahead of her kids’ welfare.