Several weeks ago, a South African woman was reported to have broken a world record by giving birth to 10 babies at the same time.

The story was featured on top-tier outlets, such as Not The Bee and The Babylon Bee Podcast, as well as lesser known platforms like The New York Post, the BBC, and Newsweek. Hundreds of other media outlets around the world picked up the story.

Turns out, it might have all been a ruse!

Several weeks after the birth, no photos of the 10 kids have emerged, there are no records of any such births happening at any local hospital, and the husband has not seen either his wife or his supposed children since she left home on June 7.

The scandal has blown up enough to get the attention of the government, which has admitted the woman for a mental evaluation and is investigating the whole debacle.

Gosiame Sithole's husband is asking people to stop sending money to his wife until the investigation is finished (the family has received at least $70,000 so far).

"I appreciate the financial support that we have been getting from members of the public, but I also would like to appeal to the public to stop making money deposits into our accounts until members of the community have seen the babies," he said.

Sithole, however, said her husband is the one trying to cheat people out of money.

"They are unfair because they are doing things and they are trying to hurt me. But I speak to Tsotetsi [the children's dad, Tebogo] now and then. I feel that they [the family] never loved me; I was just forced to be with him.

What they are doing shows me that they wanted to ruin something with my babies. That is why they are crying so much for them. The children are mine and no-one else's. Why are they after me?

Here's what officials had to say:

"We have no record of the 10 babies at any Gauteng hospital," said provincial spokesperson Thabo Masebe. "Unless they were born in the air, we checked both private and public hospitals and no-one knows about the case. Another question is, where are the obstetricians who delivered the babies and the pediatrician who is looking after them? No-one is coming forward."

Multiple hospital administrators in the area have also refuted claims that the woman was admitted there. As of this week, Sithole has been taken into custody (she says she's being held against her will).

Because you know there's one more twist, the newspaper that originally reported the story doubled down on their reporting this week and said the babies DO exist, but that the government is covering up the entire story.

I have NO clue what is going on, although I will point out that this lady could easily end this whole discussion by SNAPPING A PIC OF THE SUPPOSED BABIES.

What a time to be alive.

__________________________

Thanks to subscriber @Goatfoot for the tip on this insane update.