Kira Cousins, 22, pretended to give birth to a baby before receiving gifts worth hundreds – only for it to emerge her daughter was, in fact, a doll, leaving her family mortified
A family has been left stunned after it emerged a woman’s supposed newborn baby was later found to be a doll.
Kira Cousins, from Airdrie, Scotland has been accused of wearing a prosthetic bump before pretending to give birth and sharing images of a Reborn baby doll, which was named Bonnie-Leigh Joyce. The 22-year-old announced the supposed birth of her “daughter” earlier this month on social media and claimed she weighed in at 5lbs 4oz.
She then shared snaps of baby scans and a gender reveal party, as well as a clip of the “baby” apparently kicking her tummy. Other posts included photos of newborn clothes and items loved ones bough for the baby, including a £1,000 pram and car seat.
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She also shared details about hospital appointments with the baby, and complications with the baby, claiming ante-natal tests had picked up a heart defect. But she was accused of lying when the doll was found by her mum in Kira’s bedroom.
Screenshots of messages reported to have been sent by Kira shortly afterwards appear to show her telling the man she claimed was Bonnie-Leigh’s dad that their baby had died.
Kira refused to comment when contacted by Mirror affiliate the Daily Record. In a statement shared on TikTok she wrote: “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.”
Friend Neave McRobert said suspicions arose when loved ones noticed the “baby” had not cried and that Kira refused to let anyone touch it, claiming the baby had been to hospital for recent check ups.
In a video statement filmed on October 16, Neave said: “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’.
“I can’t imagine how he must feel right now and everyone else who has been lied to for months and months. 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.”
Reborn dolls, such as the one used by Kira, can be purchased for between £30 and £2,000.
A friend of Kira’s family, who asked not to be named, also told the Record of her shock at the news but said she suspected the pregnancy was fake all along. Describing Kira as a “serial liar”, she said: “I have known her for 10 years and she has lied about all sorts.
“She came into my house twice before this doll appeared and me and daughter noticed straight away that her bump wasn’t real. It was all lumpy. She was wearing very thin pyjamas and you could see the straps on her back holding it on.
“When she posted the picture of her supposed baby, it knew looked like a doll but I would have been slaughtered if I had spoken out about all this and said I didn’t think any of it was real.
“People would have thought I was crazy.”