Who is Natalia Grace? What Happened to Natalia Grace?
by Ushapriyanga
Updated Jun 01, 2023
Who is Natalia Grace?
In 2010, there was this crazy situation where a couple from Indiana, Michael and Kristine Barnett, adopted a Ukrainian orphan named Natalia Grace. They thought she was just a sweet six-year-old girl, but it turns out she was actually an adult woman with a type of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal. Can you believe it?
Anyway, things got pretty intense after the adoption. The Barnetts claimed that Natalia started acting all crazy and threatening to stab them and their other kids. She even supposedly poisoned Kristine's coffee! They said she did everything she could to cause harm and distress to the whole family.
Apparently, some doctors they talked to said she was a sociopath and a total con artist. Can you imagine being in that situation? It's like they were living with a real-life criminal mastermind. According to recent updates, Natalia Grace was subsequently adopted by a different couple from Indiana named Cynthia and Anton Mans. This adoption took place after the Barnetts abandoned Natalia. Notably, Natalia and her new parents appeared on an episode of the Dr. Phil show in November 2019
"The Barnett's adoption of Natalia, an alleged 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan, turns into a nightmare when they learn she may not be who she says she is; with suspicions mounting, the Barnetts discover they may have an adult stranger in their home."
What Happened to Natalia Grace?
Michael and his ex-wife, Kristine, adopted a girl named Natalia back in April 2010. They did this emergency adoption thing from Ukraine. But guess what? They started noticing some really messed up behavior from her right after bringing her home. They were told she was 6 years old, but things didn't add up.
According to Michael, Natalia actually threatened to stab their biological sons. Can you imagine? One night, he woke up to find her standing at the foot of their bed with a knife! That's some scary stuff right there. But that's not all. Michael also claimed that Natalia tried to poison Kristine's coffee and even tried pushing her into an electric fence. It's like she was out to get them!
Here's the crazy part: the Barnetts believed Natalia wasn't a child at all. They thought she was an adult woman with a condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, which made her appear smaller than her actual age. In 2012, they even tried to change her birth year legally from 2003 to 1989. That's how convinced they were that she was an adult pretending to be a kid.
Anyway, after living with Natalia for almost three years, the Barnetts decided to move to Canada in 2013. And get this—they left Natalia behind in a rental apartment in Indiana. That's some seriously messed up stuff right there.
Fast forward to 2019, and both Michael and Kristine got charged with neglect by the state of Indiana. But guess what? By 2022, four of the charges against Michael were dropped, and he was found not guilty in court. The charges against Kristine were also dropped just before her trial was supposed to start in 2023.
Natalia Grace was Later Adopted By Cynthia
In 2012, Michael and Kristine Barnett filed a petition with the Marion County Probate Court to change the birth year of Natalia Grace from 2003 to 1989, effectively altering her legal age to 22. They subsequently left Natalia alone in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and relocated to Canada with their three sons the following year.
The Barnetts faced charges of neglect of a dependent. However, due to the court-ordered change in Natalia's age, Michael was acquitted of three counts of neglect and conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent in 2022. Eventually, all charges against them were dropped.
According to information from Distractify, Natalia Grace has been diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita. In November 2019, she appeared on Dr. Phil show alongside her new adoptive parents, Cynthia and Anton Mans, who took her in after the Barnetts abandoned her.
During the interview, Natalia reportedly denied being an adult and refuted claims of deceiving her former family. Cynthia and Anton Mans, who adopted Natalia while already having two children and expecting a third, defended her and characterized her as a genuinely loving girl, dismissing allegations that she was an adult pretending to be a child.
According to court records, Cynthia and Anton Mans had sought legal guardianship of Natalia in 2016 but withdrew their petition after a previous ruling confirmed her birth year as 1989 instead of 2003. As a result, Natalia Grace currently receives disability payments amounting to $733 per month, which would be allocated to the Mans if they were her legal guardians.
Who are Natalia Grace's Parents?
In April 2010, this couple from Indiana, Michael, and Kristine Barnett, decided to adopt a supposed six-year-old Ukrainian orphan from a center in Florida. They just wanted to give a needy kid a loving home and family, you know? At first, everything seemed amazing.
But then, their worst nightmares came true. They realized that Natalia, the girl they adopted, wasn't who they thought she was. It was like a total shock to them. And you know when things started to get weird? When Kristine, the adoptive mom, was giving Natalia a bath and noticed that the kid had full-on pubic hair!
As time went on, things got even stranger. The Barnetts claimed that Natalia was hiding her period from them for months. Like, what? Who does that? And on top of that, she didn't even speak with a Ukrainian accent, even though she was supposedly from Ukraine. Plus, her bone structure and vocabulary were way more advanced than what you'd expect from a kid her age.
the Barnetts accused Natalia of doing some really messed up stuff. They claimed that she tried to poison Kristine's coffee and even attempted to drag her toward an electric fence. But that's not all. Natalia apparently put thumbtacks face-up on the stairs for someone to step on. Who does that kind of thing? And get this—according to Michael, he saw her one night, standing at the foot of their bed with a freaking knife in her hand! That's some seriously scary stuff.
Michael said that doctors who were supposedly treating Natalia called her a sociopath and a con artist. They basically told the Barnetts that their whole family was in danger. Can you imagine how terrifying that must have been for them? It's like they were living with a real-life villain.
Where is Natalia Grace Barnett Today?
Natalia Grace appears to still be residing in Indiana, according to available information. During her previous appearance on the Dr. Phil show in 2019, Natalia maintained that she was not an adult and denied ever attempting to harm the Barnetts.
Furthermore, during the interview with host Phil McGraw, Natalia recounted the events surrounding the Barnetts leaving her in the Indiana apartment before their departure. She claimed that they informed her they would be getting her an apartment and relocating to Canada. Initially, she expressed confusion and stated that she didn't fully understand what was happening at the time.
Who is Natalia Grace-FAQs
Michael and Kristine Barnett are a couple from Indiana who adopted Natalia Grace, whom they believed to be a six-year-old Ukrainian orphan, in 2010.
The Barnetts started noticing concerning behavior from Natalia and began questioning her real age. They alleged that Natalia exhibited violent tendencies and posed a threat to their family.
The Barnetts accused Natalia of attempting to poison Kristine's coffee, trying to drag her towards an electric fence, and placing thumb tacks on the stairs. They claimed that Natalia posed a danger to their family.
Natalia claimed that the Barnetts told her they would be getting her an apartment and moving to Canada. She expressed confusion at the time and said she didn't fully understand the situation.