When Reborn Dolls Go to Court

Brazil’s obsession with hyper-realistic “reborn dolls” has taken an unexpected twist. What began as a parenting aid has turned into a courtroom spectacle, as “mothers” of these hand-crafted, lifelike baby dolls demand legal rights. Justice may be blind, but it certainly didn’t see this coming.

A woman recently made headlines when she sued her employer for denying her paid maternity leave to care for Olívia, a doll. According to the complaint, she requested four months off with full pay. She argued that the emotional bond was real and insisted it was no different from raising an actual child. While the lawsuit didn’t get far, it was enough to spark a national conversation.

Reborn dolls are all the rage in Brazil. You’ll find them being pushed in strollers through shopping malls, featured in viral social media posts, and celebrated at in-person meetups. What began as a quiet comfort for a few has evolved into a full-blown subculture with national visibility.

Even lawmakers have taken notice. A bill recently introduced in Congress proposes fines of up to R$30,360 (more than US$5,000) for anyone caught using a reborn doll to access benefits reserved for parents of real infants, such as receiving priority service at government offices. And that’s just one of several measures now under consideration as lawmakers respond to the reborn doll phenomenon.

While the dolls don’t cry, eat, or even breathe, they’ve somehow managed to stir up quite the policy debate. Welcome to the legal reality of make-believe.