Eric Brogmus/INFphotoA veteran of the spotlight's glare herself, famed attorney Gloria Allred wants to make sure Octomom's kids don't get burned.
The Los Angeles attorney announced Monday that she and child-star watchdog group A Minor Consideration have teamed up to request that a stage mom guardian be appointed to ensure that Nadya Suleman's 14 kids don't wind up just being set pieces in a prospective reality show about their family.
Allred and Minor Consideration president Paul Petersen are not seeking to strip Suleman of custody, they said at a press conference earlier today. Rather, they say an extra guardian is necessary because, if cameras are going to be trained on her octuplets (and six other young'uns) for the next 18 years, those kids are entitled to a fair share of the proceeds.
"In the case of the octuplets, rather than choosing to provide her children with a normal life, their mother, Nadya Suleman, has chosen instead to commercially exploit them, and it appears she plans to continue commercial exploitation of them in the future as well," client and attorney said in a joint statement.
Professional management will help safeguard the babies and their rights, said Allred, who along with Dr. Phil McGraw helped secure free child care for Suleman—until the oft-maligned mom opted to hire her own help because the original nurses wouldn't get on board with the reality show idea.
"Since she has chosen this path, we believe that the babies are entitled to remuneration, since much, if not most, of the compensation appears to be for the use of their images, in print, on television and on the Internet," she and Petersen said.
"There are laws and regulations for even the youngest child in California," added Petersen, a former child actor who helped pass state legislation in 1998 to protect the rights of under-18 showbiz types.
The first hearing on his petition is set for June 22 in Orange County Superior Court.
Allred and Petersen have suggested that "professional fiduciary" Linda Rogers be appointed guardian of the Suleman brood's estate.
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