A young woman from Airdrie, Scotland has stunned her local community after it was revealed that the baby she claimed to have given birth to was, in fact, a lifelike doll.
Kira Cousins, 22, allegedly wore a prosthetic baby bump and fabricated an entire pregnancy, complete with baby scans, hospital visits, and a dramatic gender reveal party, before introducing her “daughter” Bonnie-Leigh Joyce on social media earlier this month.
According to her post, the baby was born on October 10 and weighed 5lbs 4oz.
From gender reveals to fake hospital updates
Kira’s elaborate scheme included photos of newborn clothes, videos of a “baby” kicking in her stomach, and updates about prenatal complications—claiming her baby had a heart defect, as reported by the Daily Record.
Friends and family even bought expensive gifts, including a £1,000 ($1300) pram and car seat, in preparation for the arrival of Bonnie-Leigh.
She also told loved ones that Bonnie-Leigh had been to Wishaw General Hospital for recent health checks. Screenshots reportedly show Kira later messaging the man she claimed was the baby’s father, telling him that Bonnie-Leigh had died.
The shocking discovery: "It was a doll"
The truth allegedly came to light when Kira’s mother found the supposed newborn in her bedroom - and it was a Reborn doll.
The revelation triggered a wave of disbelief and hurt among those who had supported her during what they believed was a real pregnancy.
Kira later addressed the situation in a statement posted to TikTok, writing: "In my own words let's set this straight. I was in bed when my mother came into my room and found it to be a doll.
"Prior to this, I had been keeping myself away from literally everyone. The next thing I know, I was confronted by all the family. Don't for one minute think they let me away with this, they haven't. And none of them knew. Neither did the dad and his family."
Friends speak out: "She texted saying the baby died"
As reported by the Mirror, friend Neave McRobert, who was among those deceived, shared her side of the story on October 16: "I noticed Kira had deleted every picture and video of Bonnie-Leigh from our chats. I asked her why and she ignored me. I then asked the baby's dad 'Is this a doll?', and he said, 'Yes, it’s a doll'. She even went to the extreme of texting him saying, 'Bonnie-Leigh died'."
Neave described how she had met the "baby" and Kira in person during a supermarket visit, adding: "I feel worse because I’m one of the few people to meet this 'baby'. I feel totally used and drained. Everyone got conned by her."
She continued: "Everybody believed her. She had a gender reveal, she posted scan photos and even said the baby had a hole in its heart. Then she texted me saying the baby was born. We were all so happy."
Screenshots from their conversations and deleted posts featuring the doll have since been shared online, triggering widespread shock and outrage. Thousands of social media users reacted to Neave’s video, expressing disbelief over the situation.
Reborn dolls, like the one used in Kira’s alleged deception, are hyper-realistic models designed to resemble real babies. They can range in price from £30 ($40) to £2,000 ($2,700), with some models capable of crying, producing fake tears, and even wetting nappies.