‘That’s When I Got A Little Bonko’: Elderly Mother Of 13 Tries For One More, Reportedly Racks Up Felony Charges
(TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images)
A New York woman who already had 13 children is accused of orchestrating an elaborate surrogacy scheme to have more, allegedly deceiving her husband, an IVF clinic, and even a judge in the process.
MaryBeth Lewis, now 68, reportedly longed for another baby even after giving birth for the last time at age 62 using donor eggs and sperm, according to The New York Times Magazine. Having exhausted her own biological options, Lewis allegedly went to extraordinary—and illegal—lengths to expand her already large family.
Authorities charged Lewis with 30 criminal counts, including forgery, falsifying business records, perjury, and attempted kidnapping.
It’s pretty wild that there are fertility clinics and surrogacy agencies willing to facilitate stuff like this. https://t.co/eyVa43UTN6
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) November 3, 2025
A Lifelong Pursuit of Motherhood
Lewis’ story began decades earlier. In her younger years, she gave birth to five daughters—whom she fondly called “the Originals.” In her 40s, she turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF), ultimately giving birth to five more children. Despite health complications and growing concern from friends, Lewis continued her pursuit of motherhood well into her 60s.
Her husband, Bob Lewis, was often unaware of her plans. She admitted to secretly implanting two embryos without his knowledge, later revealing the pregnancy once she was three months along. “He originally signed for all this stuff,” she told The New York Times Magazine. “But he wasn’t thrilled, let me put it that way.”
A Risky Obsession
By her mid-60s, Lewis still had frozen embryos stored at a Syracuse fertility clinic. When she inquired about another implantation, her doctor refused, warning that her uterine wall was dangerously thin after six C-sections and that another pregnancy could kill her.
Destroying the embryos was unacceptable to Lewis, a practicing Catholic who considered doing so morally equivalent to “murder.” Yet she also refused to donate them to another couple—claiming her husband didn’t want their genetic offspring raised by strangers, a statement Bob Lewis disputes.
The Surrogacy Scheme
Undeterred, Lewis allegedly turned to surrogacy. She claims her husband initially supported the idea; he insists he did not. Following an argument, she says, “That’s when I got a little bonko.”
Lewis admitted to forging her husband’s signature on the surrogacy paperwork and having her brother-in-law notarize the contract without Bob’s presence. Three weeks later, she learned the surrogate was pregnant with twins.
To finalize custody, Lewis appeared in a New York court via Zoom. She reportedly told the judge her husband was overseas on business, then logged in using a second account under his name—responding for him when addressed. Judge Chauncey J. Watches expressed concern about the couple’s ages but ultimately approved the parentage order, granting the Lewises full legal rights to the unborn twins.
The order was mailed to the couple’s home, where Bob Lewis discovered it—along with the deception. “I just reported you,” he allegedly told his wife. “You’re going to get arrested.”
As we saw with Big Tech, no industry should be allowed to “self-regulate” without proper outside accountability, especially not when it profits from the creation of human life. Legally enforceable standards protect parents and children; this is common sense.
— Emma Waters (@emlwaters) June 21, 2024
Legal Fallout
The twins were born in November 2023. Soon after, prosecutors charged MaryBeth Lewis with dozens of felonies. The Department of Social Services intervened, arguing the babies were wards of the state since neither genetic parent sought custody and the surrogate declined to raise them.
Despite rejecting multiple plea deals, Lewis ultimately prevailed in family court after a new judge, Matthew McCarthy, declared her and Bob the legal parents on October 20—just weeks before the twins’ second birthday. Her criminal case, however, remains unresolved.
Faith, Family, and Fallout
The case has sparked ethical debate over faith, fertility, and obsession. Lewis, a devout Catholic, opposes embryo destruction but embraced IVF—an act her own church deems immoral.
One friend summed up the contradiction bluntly: “If she’s that staunch of a Catholic, then if God was done having her have babies naturally, why not stop, rather than go this route of fertilizing?”
Lewis’ decisions, driven by maternal longing, left deep strain on her husband, her children, the foster care system, and herself. Her story raises a haunting question about how far one woman would go for the chance to hold a new baby again.
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