Who Was Octomom’s Husband? What Nadya Suleman’s Now-Ex Marcos Gutierrez Has Said Post-Divorce

Nadya Suleman, better known as Octomom, was once married before she became a mother of 14. The media personality was previously the wife of Marcos Gutierrez for more than a decade, from 1996 to 2008. Despite parting ways, her ex still spoke of her in high regard in a post-split interview. Keep reading to find out more about Suleman’s former spouse. 

Who Was Octomom’s Husband?

Suleman and Gutierrez wed in 1996 but separated a few years later in 2000. They reportedly filed for divorce in 2006, and it was finalized in January 2008, according to Bernardino Superior Court Records obtained by ABC News. 

Was He the Father of Her Octuplets? 

Gutierrez shut down claims he fathered any of her 14 children in a rare interview he did in March 2009. 

“She was my ex-wife,” he told Inside Edition. “They are not my kids, but I wish her the best … I still want her to be happy. Happiness for her is to have all these kids.”

Gutierrez said that he still respected Suleman and her goals of being a parent, adding that she is a “great person with a great heart” following the arrival of her octuplets, Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah and Makai, in January 2009. By that point, the Fullerton native was already a proud mom of six.

“Right now, she has to seek a lot of help,” he added in support of his ex-wife. “This position is going to be hard for her on her own.” 

Did They Struggle to Have Kids of Their Own?

“I went through about seven years of trying,” Suleman told NBC News in February 2009 about her and Gutierrez’s attempts to have a family before their split, revealing they had wed when she was only 21. “And through artificial insemination. And through medication. And all of which was unsuccessful.”

The same year Suleman and Gutierrez parted ways, she decided to take a different route by trying IVF and continuing her plans without her ex. All of Suleman’s children were conceived through in vitro fertilization treatments provided by Beverly Hills physician Dr. Michael Kamrava.

What Is Octomom Up to Now?

While she has remained out of the spotlight for the most part, Suleman shares life updates and photos of her growing children on her active social media account. The mom of 14 posts a wide range of content on her page, including some of her vegan meals, workouts with her kids and plans to release a memoir in the future.

Back in June 2020, Suleman also addressed criticism over having so many children without the support of a partner.

“No one ‘needs’ any children,” she fired back in an Instagram comment. “I never planned on having octuplets (8 born simultaneously), though I wanted a big family (not THIS big lol) … hopefully, one day you will watch/read my true story.”