Natalia Grace Barnett Where is She Now? How Old was Natalia Grace?
by Aishwarya R
Updated May 30, 2023
Who is Natalia Grace Barnett?
In April 2010, an interesting event unfolded when Michael and Kristine Barnett, a couple from Florida, decided to adopt a child named Natalia from Ukraine. The couple embarked on an emergency adoption process under the impression that they were bringing home a 6-year-old girl.
However, as time went on, they started to harbor concerns about Natalia's behavior, which they believed indicated that she might not be a child at all, but rather an adult with a specific type of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal (SEDc). SEDc is a rare genetic disorder that primarily affects the spine and long bones of the arms and legs, resulting in short stature and skeletal anomalies.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provides detailed information about this condition. According to the couple, Natalia exhibited troubling and aggressive behavior while living with them, prompting them to worry about the safety of their three biological children. They claimed that Natalia even attempted to harm the family by trying to stab them while they were asleep.
In a chilling account, one of the Barnett sons expressed feeling unsafe around Natalia, and Michael recounted waking up to the alarming sight of Natalia standing at the foot of their bed, brandishing a knife. In a 2019 interview on Good Morning America, Michael made startling claims, stating that doctors had labeled Natalia as a sociopath and a con artist, and had warned the family that they were all in danger.
The story surrounding Natalia's adoption and the subsequent concerns raised by the Barnett family certainly leaves one curious about the true nature of the situation and the complexities involved.
Natalia Grace Barnett Where is She Now?
In 2013, an intriguing development unfolded when the Barnett family relocated to Canada, leaving their adopted daughter Natalia behind in a rental apartment in Lafayette, Indiana. Despite their subsequent divorce, Michael and Kristine maintained their assertions regarding Natalia's true age.
Interestingly, in 2012, the couple had filed a petition with the Marion County Probate Court to legally change Natalia's birth year from 2003 to 1989. However, this decision led them to face charges in the state of Indiana. In September 2019, both parents were charged with multiple counts of neglect.
Michael faced various charges, including neglect of a dependent, neglect of a dependent causing bodily injury, neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to neglect a dependent. However, in February 2022, four counts of neglect against Michael were dismissed. Subsequently, he underwent a trial in October 2022, where he was ultimately found not guilty.
Charges against Kristine were also dropped in March 2023, shortly before her scheduled trial. As of now, Natalia Grace still appears to be residing in Indiana and is alive today. In November 2019, she even made an appearance on the Dr. Phil show, accompanied by the Mans family who had taken her in when she was placed in the apartment.
Antwon and Cynthia Mans spoke alongside Natalia during the interview, expressing their lack of concerns about her well-being. Cynthia explained that they had other children and a grandson, and Natalia's interactions with them were filled with love for her siblings and nephew.
Interestingly, three years later, Natalia testified during Michael's trial in October 2022, expressing her desire to be with the Barnetts and live with them, shedding light on her perspective and desires in the complex situation. The case continues to raise curiosity due to the intricate dynamics and evolving circumstances surrounding Natalia and the Barnett family.
How Old was Natalia Grace?
A recent documentary titled "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" delves into the perplexing story of Natalia Grace, the individual who was adopted under the assumption of being a child but later revealed to be a 22-year-old woman. The documentary features interviews with family members, former neighbors, and friends, shedding light on the unusual circumstances surrounding Natalia's age.
According to Michael Barnett, by the end of 2012, the family came to the realization that they had been living with someone they considered to be a sociopath and decided to investigate Natalia's true age. They filed a motion in Marion County Court in Indiana, seeking to have her age legally corrected to a more appropriate designation.
Legal expert Beth Karas explains that a petition was prepared by an attorney, presenting arguments as to why Natalia's stated age was inaccurate and asserting that she was actually an adult. The judge, faced with the ambiguity of her age, devised a unique formula based on the fact that Natalia had not experienced any growth in four years.
The judge concluded that if she had ceased growing at 18, and four additional years had passed, she must have been at least 22 when she entered the Barnetts' lives. Thus, Natalia was officially declared to be 22 years old. Natalia was then issued a new birth certificate with a revised date of birth—September 4, 1989—and was provided with a new Indiana identification card.
Michele Jackson, Barnett's attorney for the re-aging process, explains that the decision was based on substantial documentation and evaluations by medical professionals who examined the available evidence. While re-aging in adoption cases is not uncommon, Karas finds the extent of the change in Natalia's age rather perplexing.
She acknowledges that a couple of years might be adjusted to make a child more appealing to prospective adoptive families, but a leap of 14 years, from 8 to 22, seems implausible. The documentary takes an intriguing turn when an investigator tracks down Natalia's biological mother, Anna Gava, in Ukraine in 2020.
Gava expresses frustration over the prolonged saga surrounding her daughter, suggesting that Natalia may have been a child at the time of her adoption, as Gava has consistently claimed Natalia was born in 2003. The complexity of Natalia's age and the conflicting accounts add further layers of mystery to the story, leaving viewers and investigators to contemplate the truth behind her true birth year.
The Curious Case of Natalia
A new docuseries titled The Curious Case of Natalia Grace is set to premiere on May 29, delving into a perplexing tale of international adoption gone awry. The three-episode series, presented by Investigation Discovery (ID), explores the extraordinary account of the Barnett family, who adopted a girl from Ukraine, only to later claim that she was an adult pretending to be a child.
Interestingly, the plot of ID's docuseries bears a striking resemblance to the 2009 horror thriller film Orphan, featuring Isabelle Fuhrman, Vera Farmiga, and Peter Sarsgaard. It is believed that the true events surrounding Natalia Grace, which inspired The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, were in turn inspired by a similar case involving Barbora Skrlová.
Jason Sarlanis, the President of Turner Networks, ID & Hln, Linear & Streaming, expressed excitement about the upcoming docuseries, stating, "This year, we've witnessed resounding success with our phenomenal lineup of documentary events, and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace is our next must-watch television limited series.
Following the stranger-than-fiction journey of Natalia and her family through a lens that hasn't been seen before, this gripping content is a great addition to our catalog of blockbuster titles that make ID the ultimate destination for true crime." With its intriguing parallels to a popular film and promises to provide a unique perspective on the remarkable tale, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace is poised to captivate audiences seeking a deeper understanding of this complex adoption narrative.
Natalia Grace Barnett Where is She Now - FAQs
Natalia Grace Barnett is an individual who was adopted by the Barnett family from Ukraine. However, their adoption took a twist when the family claimed that Natalia was actually an adult posing as a child.
The case of Natalia Grace Barnett revolves around the allegations made by the Barnett family that she was not a child as initially believed, but an adult with a rare form of dwarfism. The family filed a motion to have her age legally corrected and faced charges of neglect, which were later dropped.
The exact age of Natalia Grace Barnett remains a subject of debate and uncertainty. While the Barnett family claimed she was an adult, the court determined her age to be 22 based on a formula created by the judge, taking into account her lack of growth over four years.
The story of Natalia Grace Barnett bears similarities to the plot of the 2009 movie "Orphan." The movie, inspired by a different real-life case, features a character who is adopted but later revealed to have a deceptive identity. It is believed that the events surrounding Natalia Grace's case were influenced by the film.
Natalia Grace Barnett is reportedly still living in Indiana. She has made appearances on television shows, including an interview on the Dr. Phil show, and has been supported by another family who took her in after the Barnetts left her in a rental apartment. The specific details of her current situation are not widely known.