Netflix released a chilling true story called Our Father, the story of Dr. Donald Cline, about a man who used his own sperm to inseminate his patients at his Indianapolis fertility clinic (on 11 May 2022).
The documentary series that is powerful enough to give you absolute ick explains how this doctor got away with illicitly fathering over 90 children and counting; until a woman named Jacoba Ballard blew the whole story open in 2014. So, what penalty did he face for inseminating all these patients with his sperm? Where is he now? Find out in the rest of the ‘Dr. Donald Cline Bio’.
Meet Dr. Donald Cline, The Fertility Doctor From Netflix’s Our Father
Parts of this Netflix’s Our Father are reenacted while actor Keith Boyle plays Dr. Donald Cline.
Donald first opened his practice in 1979. And it is supposed he was inseminating women up until 1986. It looked as if he thought he would never get caught. But that certainly was not the case. He lost his license. It is another thing that it was after his retirement in 2009. Still, he got lucky and was not required to go to jail.
The documentary now suggests the judge looked at Cline’s case and was incredibly sympathetic to him. At first, he seemed to get away from all that with a year of a suspended sentence and with a $500 fine paid. But, he got caught lying about having used his sperm to the attorney general’s office and threatening one of his bio children with lawsuits for “slander and libel”. This led to two charges of felony obstruction of justice. He plead guilty to the two counts in 2017.
The next year, a bill was signed into law to make a misrepresentation in a medical procedure a felony, and it was spearheaded by Donald’s biological children. These half-siblings hoped to protect people against fertility fraud in the future.
Where Is Dr. Donald Cline Today?
Dr. Donald Cline continued to dwell in his hometown of Zionsville, Indiana, as recently as 2019, according to The Atlantic.
Now in his eighties, a reporter (back in May 2019) found Donald looking haggard, with an unshaven face and hearing aids in his ears. In his report, he went on to describe how his subject appeared wan and more gaunt than in photos taken in 2017 when he filed into Courtroom 15 in the City-County Building for his sentencing. Much older Donald also is said to have sported a Colts hat and a vest over a plaid shirt, at the time of this interview. And while his wife, next to him, told the man interviewing them that Donald’s case is old news now, Donald himself subtly disclosed “There are still things going on”. (Of course) he declined to elaborate.
Dr. Donald Cline’s Age
Because Dr. Donald Cline was born in December 1938, he reached the age of 83 in 2021.
Dr. Donald Cline’s Religion
Before the world knew about Donald Cline’s offense, he was regarded as a patriarch, pillar of the medical community, and devoted leader in his Zionsville Fellowship Church. So, apparently, he is a very religious person.
Is Dr. Donald Cline Still Married?
Indeed! Dr. Donald Cline is married. Audrey Cline who turned 82 in November 2021 is his wife of more than 60 years. She is also referred to as Susie.
Donald and Audrey used to be the senior members of the church who together taught a course titled Growing Kids God’s Way at their home, which many parents attended. The couple also reportedly performed baptisms in their swimming pool for a lot of their church members.
In a rare interview of this couple in May 2019, Donald did not at all seem remorseful about his actions. And his wife also supported him and refused to believe that he had done anything wrong. Donald said he had his wife’s approval all along.
Together, they have two children, a son Doug and a daughter, Donna Stein. The latter worked as a nurse at her dad’s clinic. Doug, on the other hand (born on 19 October 1969), studied at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and Miami University. He and his sister were born in Zionsville, Indiana and they are now based in Carmel in Indiana.
Not to miss, there are other 94 of Donald’s kids, counted as of 2022. And many of them lived within a tight radius of one another in Indiana, and also unfortunately close to Donald. Matt Woock, one of them, once said that they were told there were no laws to charge Donald or others that would engage in similar deplorable actions.
Donald was still married to his wife when Indianapolis Monthly met them in May 2019. Fast forward to today and they likely continued to be together.
Dr. Donald Cline’s Parents
As of 2022, it was not understood who Dr. Donald Cline’s parents were.
Dr. Donald Cline’s Career
Dr. Donald Cline earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University; his M.D. from IU’s medical school; and interned at Methodist Hospital.
He served two years in the United States Air Force and another twelve in the inactive reserve. He received an honorable discharge and in the year 1979, he opened a 2020 West 86th Street clinic, a three-story that looked like prison bars.
A friend of Donald, asking for his leniency, had told the judge that Cline was one of the first doctors in Indiana to perform laparoscopic surgery; that he was a “doctor’s doctor”; was once a keynote speaker at the International Symposium for Infertility in Bologna, Italy; Indianapolis Monthly named him a top doctor multiple times.
Related FAQs
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Where Is Dr. Donald Cline From?
Dr. Donald Cline is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Is Dr. Donald Cline On Instagram?
Dr. Cline did not seem to be anywhere on social media as of May 2022.
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