“The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” (or “O Curioso Caso de Natalia Grace”) is indeed stranger than fiction and remains obscure to this day. Ultimately, it boils down to two conflicting accounts: one side claims that Natalia Grace is an exploited Ukrainian child who was abandoned by her adoptive family; while the other claims that she is a dangerous psychopath who disguised herself as a child to exploit her guardians.
Although this story became public in 2019, a recently released documentary series titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” has sparked renewed interest among viewers worldwide about the case.
So, if you’ve heard anything about this Natalia and are looking for a summary of the story, here’s everything you need to know about it, including what happened to Natalia and her adoptive parents Michael and Kristine Barnett, where she is now, and where to watch the series.
What is “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” about?
The documentary series examines the case of Natalia Grace and the Barnetts, which contains elements that seem to have come straight out of a movie plot. It all began in 2010 when Natalia, of Ukrainian origin, was adopted by the American couple Michael and Kristine Barnett.
Starting with the adoptive father’s version, he describes how his family believed that Natalia was a six-year-old child with a form of dwarfism called congenital spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SEDc). The Barnetts said they were happy to welcome the girl into their lives, already having experience with special needs children, including their son Jacob, a child prodigy diagnosed with autism.
As time went on, the Barnetts began to have doubts about Natalia’s age, claiming they discovered that she had pubic hair and was menstruating. Their suspicions grew when they arranged a play date with another six-year-old girl with SEDc and realized that Natalia appeared older than her.
But these concerns were nothing compared to the troubling behavior that Natalia began to exhibit, according to Michael’s allegations. He claims that she started threatening to kill them and that once he woke up in the middle of the night to find her standing at the foot of the bed holding a knife. He also alleges that she would deliberately defecate to disturb Jacob, tried to run over his children, and attempted to poison Kristine before dragging her to an electric fence.
After taking her to several therapists, Michael reportedly received a diagnosis of psychopathy for Natalia. In 2012, the family sought and successfully obtained a court order to change Natalia’s age from eight to 22 based on various assessments.
Even though they were no longer legally obligated to support her financially, the couple rented an apartment for her in Indiana before moving to Canada for their son’s education.
In 2019, lawsuits were filed against the couple, who were charged with abandonment of a dependent. It is here that the documentary reveals some shocking allegations against the Barnetts. Michael himself claims that Kristine is a “master manipulator” who used to hit Natalia and make her stand against the wall for hours in an attempt to make her reveal the truth about her past.
While the documentary provides new details about the saga with in-depth interviews from those involved, the truth remains obscure to this day, caught in a whirlwind of medical examinations, legal loopholes, and inconsistent narratives. Unfortunately, there are still many unanswered questions.
Where is Natalia Grace now?
It is widely reported that Natalia still lives in Indiana, having been taken in by another couple named Antwon and Cynthia Mans in 2014. In 2019, they appeared together on the Dr. Phil show, where the new family explained that they had not noticed any concerning behavior in Natalia.
Natalia’s version will be emphasized in the continuation of the documentary. The official synopsis of this upcoming part states: “Natalia shares her side of the story about what happened behind the closed doors of the Barnett family home and addresses the allegations against her.
Where to watch “The Curious Case Of Natalia Grace”
All six episodes of “The Curious Case Of Natalia Grace” are available for streaming on Max and Discovery Plus.