'New mum' who used toy doll to fool family she'd had baby admits 'I f*****d up'

Kira Cousinsconvinced loved ones that she was pregnant, before 'giving birth' to her daughter Bonnie-Leigh Joyce. Little did those who offered their congratulations know that Bonnie-Leigh was, in fact, a startlingly realistic reborn doll.

Now, Kira, 22, has admitted "I f****d up" in a since-deleted Instagram story, shedding light on why exactly she went to such extraordinary lengths to convince people she was an excited new mum.

The levels of deception Kira went to are almost too bold to be believed. Feigning pregnancy for nine months using a prosthetic bump, Kira kept social media followers updated on her progress, sharing videos of her "wee princess kicking", as well as of her pink confetti-strewn gender-reveal party.

It's understood that family and friends were left in the dark as to what was really going on, and the 'mum to be' was even gifted a lavish £1,000 pram. Even Kira's boyfriend, the father of the supposed baby, reportedly had no clue that there was no real child to be held and cared for.

Kira then took things a step further, pretending that she'd given birth alone to a 5lbs 4oz little girl who suffered from a heart condition. Concerns were eventually raised, however, when those close to Kira noticed the 'baby' had not cried and that Kira refused to let anyone touch her, claiming this was because she'd had recent check-ups. Now Kira has delved into the reasons behind her shocking deception, acknowledging that she'd gone "too far".

READ MORE: 'New mum' Kira Cousins admits faking scans and birth story after family discover baby is a doll

Taking to Instagram, Kira, from Airdrie, in Scotland, shared: "I wasn't pregnant. There was no baby. I made it up and kept it going way too far. I faked scans, messages, a whole birth story, and acted like a doll was a real baby. I know how bad it is, I f***** up. I just didn't know how to stop once I started.

"I don't have a proper excuse. I wasn't in a good headspace, but that doesn't make what I did okay. I know this is gonna stick with me for a long time and that I've probably lost friends I'll never get back.

"I'm trying to figure myself out and get help because this version of me isn't someone I want to be. I know I've ruined a lot of trust and that 'sorry' won't fix everything, but it's all I can say right now."

She continued: "I'm so sorry. You were there for me through it all. You cried happy tears, picked me up, brought me places, believed everything I said. You didn't deserve to be lied to like that. None of you did. Everyone who came to the gender reveal, all the people who gave me gifts or support - I f****d up and I hurt a lot of people. And to everyone I made look bad along the way - the dad and his family, especially - I'm sorry. I made you out to be horrible people when, really, I was the one in the wrong. Completely."

It's unclear exactly when and how Kira's partner realised he'd been lied to, but Kira's friend Neave McRobert has opened up about how she finally learned the truth. In a recent video statement, Neave revealed: "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 hi,m 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."

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

READ MORE: Kira Cousins used disturbing AI video to 'fool family' into thinking 'baby' is real