Dr. Donald Cline is the subject of Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, Our father, which puts him in the spotlight for fathering close to 100 children during his stint as the owner of a fertility clinic. From the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, Dr. Cline misrepresented the source of the sperm used to inseminate his patients.
His actions came to light after Jacoba Ballard took a DNA test using 23AndMe and discovered that she had more half-siblings than she suspected. Ballard and her half-siblings investigated and discovered the shocking extent of Dr. Cline’s deceit and selfishness.
Dr. Cline committed these crimes while raising two children with his wife, Audrey Susie.
Dr. Cline claims that the allegations against him threatened his marriage.
Dr. Cline opened his fertility clinic in 1979 and settled in Indiana with his wife, Audrey Susie, and their two children, Donna and Doug.
Audrey does not appear in Our father, but the series suggests that she had no knowledge of her husband’s actions. Donald claims that if Audrey ever found out about her, he would dump him.
Before Our father on the air, Donald met up with some of his children at a gathering set up by Doug. Jacoba claimed that Donald called him after the meeting, claiming that “dug up the past was destroying his marriage”, as his wife considered his actions to be adultery.
Dr. Cline’s call to Jacoba could have been a sympathy tactic to try to block the publication of her story. During Dr. Cline’s court hearing for obstruction of justice, Jacoba claimed that the former doctor had convinced her family of her innocence.
“It was always about you,” said Jacoba (Per Indianapolis Monthly). “You lie. You still lie. Even your family believes you, and it makes me sick.”
It’s unclear if Donald and Susie are still together, but reports claim that he lives the life of a retiree with his family in Indiana. Lucie Jourdan, director of Our fatherand jacoba ballard said The Guardian:
“He is active in his community. He goes to his grandchildren’s swimming meets and things like that. There is no hiding. That’s the thing, he’s still out and about. In his head, I don’t think he thinks he’s done much wrong.”
Audrey Susie reportedly received fertility treatments from her husband
Our father it reveals little about Audrey Susie, probably because she chose to stay out of the spotlight.
However, the documentary reveals that Audrey was one of Dr. Cline’s patients and was receiving fertility treatments from her husband.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn