In what appears to be a counterintuitive bid to come across as a little less crazy, Nadya Suleman (a.k.a. Octo-Mom) has told the British tabloid The Sun that she has been celibate for the past eight years and that she plans to remain celibate for 18 more.

Suleman, do-it-yourself mother to 14 kids in seven years (including last month's world famous octuplets), has come under fire from the press, the public and her own mother in recent weeks for words and actions that many see as proof that she lacks critical thinking skills and/or sanity.

In addition to choosing to procreate at such a prolific rate without a partner, without a job and with the aid of costly IVF treatments, Suleman has done so using local, state and federal assistance in the form of food stamps, social security benefits, student financial aid and disability settlements — all while claiming that she doesn't collect welfare.

She's also stated in interviews that her need for so many children stems from her "dysfunctional" upbringing (even as she's been forthright about relying on her parents for the majority of her childcare); that contrary to speculation by plastic surgeons, mental health specialists, and the press, she is not trying to model herself after Angelina Jolie (pictured above); and that, even if she "can’t yet fathom how [she] will take 14 of them to the park," she loves her children endlessly and will do anything in the world for them.

Which brings us back to Suleman's latest assertion about her celibacy: That she is doing it (or more accurately not doing it) until roughly 2027 because she loves her children. As she tells The Sun, "To even take one per cent of every night and devote it to someone else, a stranger, would be wrong. I have to wait for that until my youngest have left school."

Now, it should be noted that we do not consider celibacy in and of itself to be nutty. We've known and respected many a celibate gal in our time. But the idea of claiming to practice celibacy for 26 years in an attempt to prove one's stability and dedication as a mother strikes us as, well, not especially stable or convincing. After all, we've yet to come across any studies that equate celibacy with strong parenting skills.

Then again, maybe Suleman will prove us all wrong. Maybe she'll be a stellar mother to her 14 kids and a role model to celibate people the world over. Maybe she'll win the unwavering affection of the public and the close, supportive friendship of Angelina Jolie. Maybe she'll do all this and more. But for now, we'd just be happy if she said something that didn't make her sound like a complete lunatic.

Photo: Splash News