Kira Cousins: Young woman is outed for faking pregnancy and using doll as a baby - people say story should be a Netflix documentary

Kira Cousins, 22, wore a prosthetic bump for months and spoke regularly about looking forward to becoming a mum.

She then announced that baby Bonnie-Leigh Joyce was born on October 10, weighing 5lb 4oz, after several weeks in which she had shared pictures of a gender reveal party, presents bought for the baby and even an ultrasound scan of the foetus.

But she has now admitted that the whole thing was a sham - there was no baby and the figure that she posed with in “newborn” pictures was actually a realistic Reborn doll - much to the anger of her friends, who have let slip the story on social media.

Kira has now explained on TikTok what the situation is, 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."

But outrage unfolded when Kira was outed online as a liar as friends told how her family and the baby's "dad" discovered six-day-old Bonnie-Leigh was a doll when her mum found the prop in her bedroom.

Her friend Neave McRobert explained on TikTok how Kira, or Airdrie, Scotland, had duped them, saying they had realised that “it might be a doll, because she wouldn’t let any of us touch it.”

“Everybody believed her,” she said. “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.”

Neave wrote on Facebook of her shock after the revelation: “I added [the dad] on Snap[chat] to understand what was happening and I asked him ‘is this a doll’ and he says ‘yes it’s a doll’.

“I can’t imagine how he must feel right now and everyone else that has been lied to for months and months believe they were going to be a grandparent for the first time, an uncle for the first time, all of her family and friends! I know I feel totally used, drained, mentally I’m f***ed, I feel I can’t trust anyone or believe anyone! Everyone got conned by her!

“And I feel worse because I’m one of the few people to meet this baby. I was driving 20mph on the motorway as I didn’t want to hit any bumps or give the doll a fright! But deep down I know I done everything correctly and just done it because I genuinely cared about this doll! She even went to the extreme and texted the doll’s dad saying ‘Bonnie-Leigh died’.”

Neave also posted 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 Cousins refused to comment when contacted by the Daily Record, which reported the story first.

The story has caused ripples across social media, with many people it should be made into a Netflix documentary. It has also spawned many fake accounts, with AI being used to animate still pictures of Kira into videos, and promise the “full story” if enough followers to subscribe to a channel. Kira appears to have deleted her social media accounts.

Reborn dolls are designed to look like real-life babies, and some produce wet nappies and make crying noises. They can cost up to £2,000.