In the May 2023 ID network docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, Michael Barnett shared the story of adopting daughter Natalia Grace Barnett with his then-wife, Kristine Barnett, in 2010. He accused Natalia of attempting to kill his family and lying about her true age. Now, Natalia is set to share her side of the story in a follow-up series called Natalia Speaks in January 2024. What happened to Natalia after she left the Barnett family, and where is she now?
What Happened to Natalia Grace?
Michael and Kristine, a former couple from Indiana with three biological sons, adopted Natalia, a Ukrainian girl, in 2010, believing she was 6 years old at the time. However, her alleged behavioral issues and mature features on her body led her adoptive parents to believe that she was really an adult living with a form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDc).
In addition to accusing Natalia of lying about her true age, Michael claimed that she made several threats and attempts to kill him, Kristine and her adoptive brothers. For example, he alleged that Natalia stood over their bed with a knife, attempted to poison Kristine’s coffee with household cleaner and pushed Kristine into an electric fence.
After two years of living with Natalia, Michael and Kristine petitioned to have her birthday legally changed from September 4, 2003, to September 4, 1989, making her 23 years old in 2012. The former spouses rented Natalia an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and left her behind while they moved to Canada.
Though Natalia was legally seen as an adult, Michael and Kristine faced charges for neglect of a dependent in September 2019. Michael went to trial in October 2022, but he was found not guilty. Three counts of neglect and conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent were dismissed. Meanwhile, the charges against Kristine were dropped in March 2023 before she went to trial.
Where Is Natalia Grace Today?
While living in Lafayette, Natalia befriended a couple named Cynthia and Antwon Mans. They believed her side of the story, including that she was a minor when the Barnetts abandoned her, and adopted her into their family. They went on Dr. Phil with Natalia in 2019 and maintained that she never showed any signs of violence toward their family.
To this day, Natalia lives with Cynthia, Antwon and their five other children in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The couple has advocated for Natalia and her disability, even launching a GoFundMe to raise money for a wheelchair-accessible van in June 2023.
In The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, which premieres on ID network on January 1, 2024, the Ukraine native will dispute Michael’s claims and attempt to set the record straight.
“In every lie is a hidden truth, but you’ve got to dig enough to be able to see it,” Natalia said in the trailer. ”This is my side of the story. Do I look like a monster to you?”
Following a series of clips of Natalia confronting Michael about the alleged abuse she experienced at Kristine’s hands as Michael looked on, the trailer ends with Natalia saying, “I want people to pay for what they’ve done.”
How Old Is Natalia Grace?
Natalia’s true age is still widely debated. However, during Michael’s trial, Natalia’s biological mother, Anna Volodymyrivna Gava, insisted that she was born in 2003, as stated on her birth certificate. Cynthia and Antwon celebrated Natalia’s 20th birthday in September 2023.
Speaking about the mystery surrounding her age in the Natalia Speaks trailer, Natalia said, “How did they shut these doctors up? How did they hide all this evidence?”
During a later scene in the trailer, Natalia confronts a woman, saying, “I was a kid. You just took their word for it.”
“I wasn’t 22. I was 8 years old,” Natalia insists in another teaser for the series.
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