Who Is Natalia Grace? Controversies Around The Orphan Dwarf Woman

Little Natalia Grace was the center of an odd controversy that captivated America’s attention. A family from Indiana claims that they were informed she was 6 years old when they adopted her in 2010.

However, they assert that they quickly realized she was actually an adult with dwarfism who had merely posed as a youngster. They asserted that Natalia Grace was an aggressive sociopath. 

The case has left the public puzzled. There have been accusations of abuse and manipulation portraying Natalia as a psychotic scam artist.

Although there is a lot of confusion, more and more people are beginning to wonder whether Natalia was really the culprit or just an unlucky victim of the situation. 

Natalia is now the subject of a new documentary series, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, premiering next week on Investigation Discovery. 

Who Is Natalia Grace? What Is Her Story?

Natalia Grace, who was thought to be a six-year-old orphan from Ukraine, was adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in 2010. 

A shocking discovery was made by the couple that Natalia was actually an adult with Spondyloepiphyseal dwarfism, a type of dwarfism.

The adult woman was only pretending to be a child, and she had evil plans for her adoptive parents.

The Barnetts claimed Natalia Grace made a stabbing threat against them and their biological children, poisoned Kristine’s coffee, and as much as possible to harm or mentally break the family.

They asserted that medical professionals who were reportedly attending her warned them she is a sociopath and a con artist.

However, opposing reports and several other viewpoints have surfaced to cast doubt on this story. 

Some people who met Natalia Grace before the Barnetts describe her as a woman with dwarfism who had been moved around a lot of homes. They think the allegations were made up or were a really hollow threat.

The Barnetts were accused of neglect in 2019, which caused Natalia’s narrative to take an unexpected turn. Her birth mother confirmed that she was born in 2003, which turned attention to figuring out her actual age.

However, the judge barred any mention of her legal age during the proceedings. Ultimately, Michael was found not guilty, and Kristine’s allegations were dropped. 

It is still unclear whether Natalia is a psychopathic con artist or an innocent victim. Her case is complex since some said that the Barnetts misread Natalia’s condition and her challenges with her special need to justify their accusation.

Others claim that Natalia’s behavior was brought on by a terrible past and lack of adequate support. 

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Natalia Grace: Barnetts Adoption In 2010

Natalia Grace’s scenario began on April 26, 2010, when Michael and Kristine Barnett from Indiana decided to adopt her from a facility in Florida. They wanted to give a family and a home to a child in need. At first, their life seemed peaceful.

As they discovered Natalia is not who they thought she was when they adopted her. The initial concern surfaced while Kristine was bathing the kid and noted that Natalia had full pubic hair. 

The Barnetts claimed that matters worsened in the months that followed, including their discovery that she had been hiding her menstruation from them for months.

Additionally, Natalia didn’t have a Ukraine accent, and both her language and bone structure were more developed than those of kids her age. 

They also accused Natalia of trying to harm and break the family both physically and mentally. The family claimed that Natalia is a sociopath and a con artist and their family was in danger. 

What Happened To Natalia Grace Later?

To change Natalia’s birth date from 2003 to 1989 and her legal age to 22, the Barnetts had to file a petition with Marion County Probate Court by the end of 2012.

They then abandoned her in a Lafayette apartment and relocated to Canada with their three sons the following year. Barnetts were freed from all the negligence charges against them in 2022.

Another Indiana couple, Anton Mans and Cynthia adopted Natalia in 2016 after she was abandoned by Barnetts. The family of Mans and Natalia appeared in an interview to explain her part.

Natalia claimed that she never conned the family of Barnetts. The court had allowed an amount of $733 per month to Natalia Grace as a disability payment. 

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