A Scottish woman has admitted to orchestrating an elaborate hoax in which she tricked her boyfriend and family into believing she was pregnant, gave birth, and then told the “baby’s father” their daughter had died – all using a silicone doll and fake bump.
Kira Cousins, 23, claimed she had given birth to a daughter called “Bonnie-Leigh” but maintained the deception using a realistic Reborn Doll that can cost up to £2,000 and features moveable limbs and facial features.
The shocking fraud unravelled when her mother discovered the silicone doll in her bedroom last week, forcing Cousins to confess she had fabricated the entire pregnancy and birth story.
Fake Scans and Gender Reveal Party
Cousins went to extraordinary lengths to maintain the illusion, posting images from fabricated baby scans and even hosting a gender reveal party in Caldercruix, Lanarkshire.
The elaborate deception convinced family and friends to spend thousands of pounds on gifts including a £1,000 pram purchased by her mother, car seats bought by her grandmother, and £500 reportedly sent by a cousin from Wales.
The level of detail and commitment to the hoax suggests significant planning and psychological complexity behind the deception.
Suspicions Grew When “Baby” Never Cried
Doubts began emerging after nobody had ever heard “Bonnie-Leigh” cry, and Cousins refused to let anyone get close to examine the infant.
These red flags eventually led to the discovery that what family members had glimpsed from a distance was an expensive silicone doll rather than a real baby.
The realistic nature of Reborn Dolls, designed to help people cope with infant loss, dementia and infertility, made the deception plausible from afar.
“I Made It Up and Kept It Going Way Too Far”
In a now-deleted Instagram story obtained by the Daily Record, Cousins issued a public apology acknowledging the severity of her actions.
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t pregnant. There was no baby. I made it up and kept it going way too far,” she wrote.
“I faked scans, messages, a whole birth story, and acted like a doll was a real baby.”
The admission represents a complete confession to what amounts to sustained fraud against those closest to her.
Doll Could “Move” and Had Changeable Features
In her defence, Cousins attempted to explain how family members could have been fooled by the elaborate prop.
“In everyone else’s defence, the doll could move. You could change the facial features, arms and legs,” she wrote.
“You could feed the doll making it ‘pee or poo’. So when no one is close to the doll, it does look real. No one was looking at my ‘baby’ expecting it to be a doll.”
The sophisticated features of high-end Reborn Dolls – designed specifically to mimic real infants – provided cover for the deception as long as nobody examined the “baby” closely.
Told “Father” Baby Had Died
Prior to posting her public apology, Cousins told boyfriend Jamie Gardiner that their daughter had died – adding a particularly cruel dimension to an already devastating hoax.
Allowing Gardiner to believe he had lost a child represents perhaps the most emotionally damaging aspect of the elaborate deception.
Cousins specifically asked that “no one should be hating towards either families, especially Jamie’s” in her Instagram confession.
“Maybe in Time I Will Address the Sadness”
Cousins hinted at underlying mental health issues driving her behaviour, writing: “Maybe in time I will come out and address the sadness once the right help etc. has been sought.
The cryptic reference to “sadness” and need for “help” suggests she may have been struggling with psychological issues that manifested in this extreme fantasy.
However, the acknowledgment doesn’t excuse the harm inflicted on those deceived, particularly Gardiner who believed he had become a father and then lost a child.
Police Spoke to Her Over Welfare Concerns
Police Scotland confirmed they had spoken to Cousins over concerns for her welfare following the revelation of the hoax.
The police involvement appears focused on ensuring she receives appropriate support rather than pursuing criminal charges at this stage.
It is not thought that any formal complaint has been lodged against the 23-year-old, though the fraud potentially involved thousands of pounds obtained under false pretences.
Reborn Dolls Used for Therapy
The silicone doll was made by Reborn Dolls, a company that creates realistic infant replicas often used therapeutically for those struggling with infant loss, dementia and infertility.
The therapeutic purpose of these dolls – helping people cope with profound grief – makes their misuse in a cruel deception particularly troubling.
Reborn Dolls from reputable manufacturers can cost up to £2,000, suggesting Cousins invested significantly in maintaining her fantasy.
“Forked Out a Fortune”
According to friends, Cousins spent a “fortune” acquiring the sophisticated prop that enabled her months-long deception.
The substantial financial investment in the doll, combined with the fake scans and elaborate backstory, demonstrates this wasn’t an impulsive lie but a calculated, sustained fraud.
Family Spent Thousands on Gifts
A source who knows Cousins’s family told the Daily Mail that relatives had invested heavily in preparing for the supposed arrival.
“Her mum bought a pram for her, £1,000, her gran bought car seats and everything, one of her cousins from Wales supposedly sent her £500. She’s getting all this money,” the source revealed.
The financial impact on family members who bought expensive items in good faith adds a material dimension to the emotional harm inflicted.
Whereabouts Now Unknown
Cousins has faced fierce public backlash since the hoax was exposed, with her current location unclear.
“I don’t know where she is now, but apparently some people say she’s still floating about, other people say she’s left the country,” the source told the Daily Mail.
Whether she remains in Scotland or has fled abroad to escape the scandal remains uncertain.
Psychological Questions
The elaborate nature of the deception raises profound questions about Cousins’s mental state and what drove her to such extreme behaviour.
Faking pregnancy can indicate serious psychological issues including factitious disorder, where individuals fabricate illness or conditions for attention, or phantom pregnancy beliefs.
The specific detail of telling the “father” their baby had died suggests possible unresolved trauma around pregnancy loss or infertility, though this remains speculation.
Impact on “Father”
For Jamie Gardiner, the psychological damage of believing he had become a father, lost a child, and then discovering the entire experience was fabricated will likely prove profound and lasting.
The betrayal combines multiple traumatic deceptions: false paternity, false bereavement, and the revelation that someone he trusted was capable of sustained, cruel manipulation.
Family Relationships Destroyed
Beyond Gardiner, Cousins’s mother, grandmother and extended family who supported her throughout the “pregnancy” and “birth” now face the reality that their love and financial support were exploited.
The destruction of family trust may prove irreparable, with relatives left questioning how they missed signs and whether they can ever trust Cousins again.
Legal Implications
Whilst no complaint has been filed, the obtaining of money and expensive gifts through false pretences could potentially constitute fraud.
Family members who spent thousands on prams, car seats and cash gifts might have grounds for legal action to recover their losses.
However, pursuing such action would further damage family relationships and may be considered not worth the additional pain.
As Cousins disappears from public view and her family processes the devastating revelation, the case serves as a disturbing example of how modern technology – from sophisticated dolls to easy image manipulation – enables elaborate deceptions that inflict profound emotional and financial harm.
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