Controversial octuplet mom Nadya Suleman was said seeking $2 million for media access and sponsorships. Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer were reportedly interested. So how did NBC News land her debut interview?

Page Six thinks it might know: a nefarious payoff. In the seven figures.

Of course, Page Six and the Post slam NBC News at basically every opportunity, due to the Bill O'Reilly-Keith Olbermann feud, which has evolved into a News Corp.-NBC feud.

But the gossip section does have a source privvy to the negotiations. Suleman's people demanded bids of $1.2 million or higher from Oprah Winfrey, ABC, CBS, and NBC. The first three left the room; NBC stayed.

Page Six's source speculates NBC "made a 'donation' through an intermediary." Here's what the network said:

NBC News does not pay for interviews. We did not pay Nadya Suleman, or anyone who represents her, for our interview. We didn't license a single photo or video from her or anyone who represents her. Not a dime. There is no deal with anyone at NBC Universal or NBC News

You could probably wriggle a donation to a third party through the holes in that statement. And it's not like NBC News has a particularly good record nailing down exclusive interviews lately without greasing palms.

But the network issued a pretty verbose denial to the Post. No "go ahead and write whatever you want... since whatever you're going to print is an outright lie" on this one. Best guess: Suleman went on NBC for free to try and snag endorsement deals. Given the ongoing public backlash against her decision to have a total of 14 kids as a single mom, that wouldn't have been a wise bet.