Gloria Allred announced this morning that she has filed a petition in Orange County, California, requesting that a guardian be appointed to protect the earnings, income, and assets of the Suleman octuplets.
The petition was filed on behalf of plaintiff, Paul Peterson, who is a former child actor (Mickey Mouse Club and The Donna Reed Show) and has been an active, outsoken child labor advocate for decades. He has been instrumental in the passage of several California laws designed to protect children in the entertainment industry.
His concerns about the octuplets mounted as the "circus" outside and inside Suleman's home continued to grow since the octuplets return home and as Suleman reports on them from an online webcast. There are also reports that she has inked a deal for a reality television show.
"This action we have taken by filing the petition in the Superior Court today is in the best interests of the babies," said Allred.
"There are laws, regulations and guidelines for even the youngest child employed in the entertainment business in California," says Peterson. "The income of children employed in the entertainment industry is their own; ten percent of the money must be saved until the age of majority. I want a guardian appointed for the estate of the octuplets to protect their earnings, income, and assets."
Nadya's attorney, Jeff Czech, calls the octuplets "incidental" to Suleman's ability to attain income from media and entertainment. He has confirmed that she is seeking out and close to signing a deal for a reality show.
"Nadya has been interested in, and hoping to find, something not so intrusive to the family and babies while, at the same time, (something to) sort of focus on trying to make a little income for herself," Czech said.
In California, infants can start working when they're 15 days old, provided that they (or their parents) have a work permit and a note from a licensed physician. According to the California labor code, the note must attest that the child was not born prematurely, was of normal birth weight, and is, in the doctor's opinion, "physically capable of handling the stress of filmmaking." Also, the child's lungs, eyes, heart, and immune system must be "sufficiently developed to withstand the potential risks."
Peterson takes issue with the concept that the octuplets are incidental to Suleman’s plans for any reality show, and wants a court to appoint a guardian so that the interests of the octuplets are protected should any income be derived from their presence in television or movies.
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Comments
Gloria Allred has been waiting to get Suleman bakc for something in some way, shes been shown up as an unmitigated disaster with angels in waiting and its now a personal vendetta to harm and hinder this family which does not extend to any other octuplet or large family. The Dugars, John and Kate and no other parent and their children have suffered this kind of ordeal. Its not a respectable way for Allred to go on. She's called a feminist discrimination lawyer, I can see, she certainly seems to get up to a lot of discrimination...of mothers with babies.
NADYA SULEMAN IS SO GUILTY OF SO MANY THINGS. THIS LAW SUIT SHOULD JUST BE THE BEGINNING TO IT ALL ... THEY SHOULD GO AFTER HER FOR FRAUD CRIMES AND SOOO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT SHE LACKS. SHE IS UNABLE TO PROTECT HER SON WHO IS AUTISTIC AND SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EVEN HAVE CHILDREN ... SHE IS PIMPING THESE CHILDREN OUT IN ORDER TO BE RICH AND HAVE THE FAME THAT SHE HAS ALWAYS SEEKED. FOR THE CHILDREN ... WE MUST GET THEM AWAY FROM HER!!!! SHE IS A UNFIT MOTHER, AND THAT IS THE NICE WAY TO SAY TI.
Well BB since those other families don't have a history of living off the taxpayer's dole and weren't using their babies to earn the money to pay salaries for 7+ nannies a day I think Gloria is spot on here. Octo-loser's attorney making the statement that the octuplets are incidental to Octo-loser's ability to make media deals is about the dumbest thing I have ever seen in print.
BB, er, NS, the 14 children need you to care for them, not hide from them and surf the net.
Ms Allred has been looking for a way to take control of Nadya's infants away and get revenge for the "firing" of the expensive Nurses she represented who wanted $130,000/mo to take care of the babies. Nadya current arrangement of Nannies costs about 1/4 of that sum so now Allred wants to protect the babies money. She still hasn't told us how much was raised in the aborted attempt to finance the Angels in Waiting Scheme - money donated to those babies which they will never see!
BB
Child labor laws are much stricter in CA than in most other states. It's a matter of law, not a personal vendetta.
While I might agree that Suleman seems to have some issues I do not think it is in the best intrest of the children that Gloria Allred is acting. I have seen drug addicts get a better chance at trying to strighten out their lives and given children back after years in the system then the public is giving this woman. Do we really only blame this woman for this situation. The babies are here. What responsibality does the dr who helped do this have in this?? Look at all of the people besides this woman who are trying to cash in on these children. Yes these children need some sort of protection in place for the future.. But I wonder if all other reality shows about multiples have to face this sort of thing???
Lisa-
The other reality shows are filmed in states where there is little protection for the children's rights. The laws in CA were enacted some time ago to stop the exploitation of child actors by both the filming entity and the parents, who often mishandled the child's finances, leaving them with very little. The protection of the Suleman children should be the primary concern of everyone. Ms. Suleman does not help this matter by flaunting her personal spending habits in the media. One cannot ask for help in feeding one's children while being photographed and videotaped spending significant amounts of money on oneself and not have people concerned about what is being done to protect the children's future.
The Octuplets are Octomom's claim to fame!
Her Atty, Czech, calls the Octuplets "incidental"?, huh, no one would have known Nadya Suleman, if it were not for the babies.
She had planned this all along, knowing that these babies would bring her the attention she is getting!! The Octuplets deserve a Guardian, as well as the other children she has. How dare she do this to her children!!
if you will remember the babies were videoed in the neonatal ward. which doctor wrote that they were not premmies for that to happen?
does being a news story make it any different?
i actually haven't seen that much footage of the babies. a lot of people would agree that it is mostly nadya that they are seeing. and judging by the comments they are sick of seeing her.
She`s asking the state to pay for her bills (hospital,SSI,nannies,etc.) She`s spending the babies` money faster than they can make it for her, and has her hand out for donations and wants WIC to pay for formula. Yes. These kids need a representative. They`ve already paid for her to go from a nobody scamming the system to this pseudocelebrity lifestyle she`s grown so accustomed to.
Paul Peterson brought the suit and hired Gloria to represent him. So Gloria didn`t "thrust herself into this". She was hired to do a job and she`s going to do it. Personal satisfaction is just a bonus for her.
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