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 a fertility clinic owner. From the late 70s to the mid-80s, Dr. Cline misrepresented the source of the sperm used to inseminate his patients.
His actions came to light after Jacoba Ballard conducted a DNA test using 23AndMe and found that she had more half-siblings than she’d suspected. Ballard and her fellow half-siblings investigated, uncovering the shocking extents of Dr. Cline’s deception and selfishness.
Dr. Cline committed these crimes while raising two sons 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 sons, Donna and Doug.
Audrey doesn’t feature in Our Father, but the series suggests that she had no knowledge of her husband’s actions. Donald states that if Audrey ever found out, she would leave him.
Before Our Father aired, Donald met with some of his children in a meeting arranged by Doug. Jacoba claimed that Donald called him after the meeting, claiming ‘that digging up the past was destroying his marriage’ as his wife considered his actions adultery.
Dr. Cline’s call to Jacoba might have been a ploy to gain sympathy and try to block the publication of his story. During Dr. Cline’s court hearing for obstruction of justice, Jacoba claimed that the former doctor had convinced his family of his innocence.
“It was always about you,” Jacoba said (Per Indianapolis Monthly). “You lied. You still lie. You even have your family believing you, and that sickens me.”
It’s unclear whether Donald and Susie are still together, but reports claim that he lives a retiree’s life with family members in Indiana. Lucie Jourdan, director of Our Father, and Jacoba Ballard told The Guardian:
“He’s active around his community. He’s going to grandchildren’s swim meets and things like that. There’s 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 gives away little about Audrey Susie, probably because she opted to stay away from the limelight.
However, the documentary reveals that Audrey was one of Dr. Cline’s patients, receiving fertility treatments from her husband.