By now, you have likely seen or heard about the popular 2009 horror movie Orphan, and if you haven’t, it goes something like this: a couple adopts a lovely little girl who turns out to be a full-grown sociopathic adult who wants to kill them.
What many people may not know is that a real-life couple underwent a similar experience just a year later, which will now be addressed from the adoptee’s point of view in a new scheduled interview.
Highlights
- The Barnetts adopted Natalia, thinking she was 6, discovered she was actually 22.
- Natalia has a rare form of dwarfism but was found with adult physical traits.
- Natalia alleged to have threatened her adoptive parents, but she denied it.
In 2010, Kristine and Michael Barnett saw their entire life flipped upside down when their beloved six-year-old adopted daughter happened to have an entirely secret identity, baffling psychologists, doctors and lawyers all over the world.
Natalia Grace, who was adopted in 2010 by and who turned out to be an adult, is set to tell her side of the story
Image credits: Dr. Phil
Image credits: Dr. Phil
Kristine and Michael had adopted who they thought was little Natalia Grace from Ukraine, before noticing that their daughter had some strange behavior.
As it turned out, not only did Natalia have a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, but she also had “periods, adult teeth and pubic hair”.
After being adopted by Antwon and Cynthia Mans, Natalia appeared with them on Dr Phil
Image credits: Dr. Phil
You can watch Dr Phil's segment below:
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
The head-scratching story was unveiled in the Investigation Discovery documentary, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, in which Kristine and Michael recounted their horrific experience with a person who they have later described as a “sociopath”.
The poor couple alleged that the straw that broke the camel's back for them was the time Natalia allegedly threatened them with a knife and said she was “gonna kill everybody”.
As they described Natalia as being “murderous” and a “deceptive liar”, Kristine and Michael filed a motion in Indiana's Marion County Court for her case to be heard, as per Unilad.
In 2010, Kristine and Michael Barnett adopted who they thought was six-year-old Natalia from Ukraine
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
The adoptive father revealed in the documentary that the legal aim was to “have her age corrected to something more appropriate”, before medical tests concluded Natalia was a woman of 22 years.
Natalia has since reportedly received a new birth certificate with a new date of birth of 4 September 1989, along with a new Indiana I.D.
Natalia alleged that Kristine had “said that I hid knives on top of the fridge, under the fridge, in the cabinets, even on her office desk"
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
With over a decade passing by, Natalia has reportedly said to feel ready to tell her side of the story in a highly anticipated special episode entitled The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, which would see the now-34-year-old share her viewpoint.
In the trailer, Natalia can been seen saying: "In every lie is a hidden truth, but you gotta dig enough to be able to see it.
"This is my side of the story.
“Do I look like a monster to you?"
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
The trailer has also briefly revealed Natalia confronting Michael while breaking down in tears.
In the teaser, she tells him: "You're supposed to be my dad.
“You're supposed to be the one to protect me."
The trailer further shows Natalia asking Michael if he feels sorry for his part in the initial documentary before urging him to admit she never threatened him with a knife.
Finally, the teaser ends with Michael storming out of the one-on-one interview, with Natalia telling viewers she wants “people to pay for what they've done”.
You can watch the trailer for The Curious Case Of Natalia Grace below:
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
Image credits: Investigation Discovery
All six episodes of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace are already available to stream on Max and Discovery Plus now.
However, the Natalia Speaks special, which was set to drop on Investigation Discovery “later this summer,” still hasn’t arrived as of November 2023.
Some reports have suggested it might air in January.
News of Natalia suggests she has lived in Indiana, under the care of another couple named Antwon and Cynthia Mans, since 2014.
You can watch the trailer for Natalia's special episode below:
In 2019, the family appeared on Dr. Phil, where the Mans family explained that they hadn’t experienced any troubling behavior from Natalia.
As Antwon and Cynthia have continuously stood by her, Natalia has simultaneously denied the allegations made against her, admitting on Dr. Phil that Kristine had “said that I hid knives on top of the fridge, under the fridge, in the cabinets, even on her office desk,” even though she would have been physically unable to reach many of those places.
Natalia's story left many people divided
