Produced and directed by Lucie Jourdan, “Our Father” is a gripping true-crime film on Netflix which examines the inexplicably wrong behavior of Dr. Donald Cline, a now-retired fertility doctor in Zionsville, Indiana, who has had at least the number of 94 children by artificially inseminating patients using his sperm during the 70s and the 80s.
It is shocking that no one, not even those who suffered, knew the truth until around 30 years after the time, Jacoba Ballard, a child donated to Cline, was able to discover she was born to Cline has been her mother’s biological father. She isn’t the sole one to have this account to share. As Cline was being questioned on his deeds, one cannot help but wonder what impact they had on his spouse, Audrey, featured in the movie. Let’s discover her whereabouts, shall we?
Who is Dr Donald Cline’s Wife?
In the movie ‘Our Father’ in ‘Our Father. Donald Cline’s spouse appears as Susie; however, her name is actually Audrey. Cline was a well-known fertility expert in the 70s and 80s. He was among the very first in Indianapolis with expertise in artificial insemination using fresh sperm. This led to several couples with issues with fertility visiting his clinic, and he achieved a huge success rate from 1971 to 1981.
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The year 1979 was the time that Cline established his own clinic 1979, and it was an inspiration for those who wanted to have their own babies. According to Cline, his practice utilized fresh sperm samples taken from anonymous medical residents. The donor was employed for three successful births. Besides being a medical professional, he was often mentioned in journals and magazines and frequently presented at medical conferences. Cline and his partner Audrey were the senior members of their church. They also gave a course called The Growing Kids God’s Way at their house, which many parents took part in.
The couple reportedly conducted baptisms in their pool for many people in their congregation. Their son is Doug, and a daughter named Donna, an assistant nurse in their father’s hospital. When she was a nurse in 2009, Cline held a lavish retirement celebration attended by many people from the town. But things changed at the end of 2014 as Jacoba Ballard, a 34-year-old woman whose mother was treated in 1979, decided to look into her family history. When she was a child, Jacoba knew she had been born through the sperm donation process; therefore, she was eager to learn more about her biological father.
So, Jacoba logged on to a biotech and genomics site that offers information on ancestral ancestry. In shock, she was able to discover that she had, at a minimum, seven half-siblings. Further investigation revealed that they were born as donor babies at Dr. Cline’s laboratory over seven years. When she began investigating, Jacoba was devastated to learn that he could as their biological father who artificially fertilized their mothers using his sperm without their knowledge or consent.
The year was 2015, and Jacoba and one half-sister, Kristie, filed a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General’s (AG) office. Two letters were addressed to Cline to address the issue. However, he continued to assert that he only had one donor three times and never took any of his own samples. However, when one half-sister of Jacoba’s, known as “Carrie,” shared her account on Fox59 in May 2015, others who claimed an identical connection to Cline surfaced. Jacoba and Kristie later contacted Doug and Donna and visited with them.
Doug admitted that Cline admitted having his sperm used on patients but less than eight times. However, Cline was at a meeting with Jacoba, and her half-siblings in Cline had a meeting with Jacoba and some of her half-siblings during 2016, he said that he’d utilized his sperm as many as 50 times and that Audrey was apparently in support of the practice. However, Cline later called Jacoba, asked her not to continue with her investigation, and recorded the conversation for future evidence. According to Cline, Audrey was not aware of his deeds, and the fact that the truth would come out would end their marriage as she believed it was adultery.
But, Jacoba decided to fight for her half-siblings and herself, growing in number daily. Based on DNA tests on Cline and all donors, the doctor was accused in two cases of obstruction of justice. In December of 2017, Donald Cline pleaded guilty to the charges and was required to pay a fine of $500. The sentence of one year in prison was revoked because of being of a certain age and due to the local community’s backing. Because of the absence of state laws regarding donor fraud at the time, he was not indicted with any other crime.
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Where is Audrey Cline Now?
Following the trial after the trial, after trial, Dr. Donald Cline and his wife Audrey kept a low public profile. They avoided interviews with the media according to the advice of his lawyer. In a rare interview in May of 2019, the doctor did not seem to regret his actions. Additionally, Audrey, who had the time been married to him for over 60 years, backed him and was not willing to accept that he was in error.
“It’s old news… It’s just that one woman who’s upset that she has a life,” Audrey said. Since that time, the news has been quiet. Cline has stayed away from the spotlight as it is unclear whether she and her husband remain in a relationship. According to what we have seen, she’s not active on social media and prefers to live an unassuming life. In the present, Audrey is seemingly in her 80s and could be living in Zionsville, Indianapolis.
