A 62-year-old mother of 13 children is facing allegations of orchestrating a deceptive plan to expand her family without her spouse’s knowledge. MaryBeth Lewis is confronting 30 criminal charges for supposedly falsifying her husband Bob Lewis’ signature and assuming his identity during a virtual court session to covertly pursue two additional children through surrogacy. Despite pleading not guilty to the accusations, she confessed to the deception in a recent interview, expressing frustration over the legal implications.
The 68-year-old nurse initially had five daughters, who are now in their 30s, followed by twin daughters just before turning 50. Subsequently, she had another daughter with Bob three years later, and twin sons in 2012, bringing the total to 10 children by age 55. Seeking further expansion, the couple resorted to using donor sperm and eggs after exhausting their own embryos, resulting in the birth of their 11th and 12th children when MaryBeth was 59. Subsequently, their youngest child was born via IVF at age 62, despite medical advice warning of the risks associated with another pregnancy.
MaryBeth’s deceptive actions commenced when she embarked on an elaborate scheme to have more children through surrogacy. She admitted to deceiving an IVF clinic by implanting a surrogate with embryos created using donor eggs and sperm without her husband’s consent. She went to great lengths, including impersonating Bob during a virtual parentage order hearing, creating a fictitious Zoom account under his name, and manipulating the proceedings to proceed without his knowledge.
Upon discovering the scheme, Bob reported his wife to the authorities, triggering an investigation into the family’s activities. While Bob eventually agreed to the parentage order, legal proceedings ensued, resulting in the birth of the couple’s 14th and 15th children in November 2023. However, due to the ongoing legal complications, the newborn twins were placed in foster care with another family.
Following court hearings, the Lewises were granted legal parenthood of the twins on October 20. Nonetheless, they have yet to regain custody of their children, as the current foster family is reportedly contesting the arrangement. MaryBeth has a history of blindsiding Bob, with previous instances of alleged deception during pregnancies. Despite denying the charges, she is scheduled to appear in court on November 7 to address the accusations.