In 2010, Indiana couple Kristine and Michael Barnett adopted Natalia, then seven, who has a rare form of dwarfism called diastrophic dysplasia.
What was once thought of as a compassionate act, soon unfolded into a whirlwind of court battles, criminal charges, and a truth so tangled, it’s still fiercely debated, 15 years later!
Read all about it below.
What happened to Natalia Grace?
When the Barnetts adopted Natalia, her birth certificate stated she was born in 2003.
But the Barnetts soon grew suspicious of Natalia’s real age, and after claiming they discovered she had pubic hair and was menstruating, accused her of being an adult masquerading as a child.
They also accused her of issuing death threats and attempting to harm Kristine and their three biological sons.
In one jaw-dropping moment, recreated in the Disney+ series Good American Family, Kristine orders Natalia to clean the kitchen, only to later take a sip of her coffee and recoil, suspecting it had been laced with cleaning fluid – something Natalia strongly denies.
“I feel like I have to defend myself and be like, ‘Do I look like somebody that could push someone twice my size into a fence? Do I look like I could even grip a knife?” Natalia said in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks docuseries.
“I feel like I was brainwashed by the Barnetts. Kristine coached me to lie about my age and say I tried to murder my parents. Why would you do that to your child?”
The Barnetts put Natalia through physical and psychological evaluations, which indicated she was likely in her late teens or early twenties.
Fuelled by the shocking revelations, the Barnetts convinced an Indiana court in 2012 to legally reclassify Natalia’s age from eight years old to 22.
A year later, they shuffled Natalia between multiple apartments before fleeing to Canada, cutting all ties with her.
She was then taken in by her neighbour, Cynthia Mans, whom Natalia would later accuse of exercising control over her. “I didn’t understand why I was alone. I just knew I had this instinct in me to push and survive,” Natalia told People.
“All I was told was, ‘You’re 22 now. Whenever somebody asks you what your age is, you say you’re 22 and you tried to murder your family.’ I was taught to lie.”
In 2019, Kristine and Michael Barnett, who had by then divorced, were thrust into a legal firestorm when they were hit with multiple charges of neglecting a dependent, claims they’ve always fiercely denied.
Michael told Good Morning America that doctors treating Natalia allegedly told them: “This person is a sociopath. This person is a con artist. You are all in danger.”
When was Natalia Grace actually born?
He was acquitted of all charges in 2022, and the case against Kristine was dropped the following year. In 2023, DNA testing confirmed Natalia’s birth year as 2003, ending years of controversy.
Natalia, who is now 21, is focused on earning her high school diploma and pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher, while building a life with her boyfriend, Neil.
“I’m a girl who loves kids and wants to get married and have children,” she says.
“But one of my biggest things is not making promises I can’t keep. I’ve had too many promises that have been broken. I’m just ready to move on.”
Watch Good American Family and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace now on Disney+.
