In 2023, Natalia Grace made headlines when her story was featured in the Investigation Discovery docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. The series highlighted how her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, accused her of attempting to harm them after the adoption. They also claimed that, despite her appearance, she was not a child but rather an adult sociopath with hidden motives, all while grappling with her rare genetic disorder, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita.
However, in her own perspective shared in the follow-up series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, Grace has made it clear that she was, in fact, a child when she was adopted. She asserts that it was not her adoptive parents who were in a nightmare situation, but rather herself.
Learn more about her story and where she is now below.
Who Is Natalia Grace?
Grace was born in Ukraine to a 24-year-old mother who gave her up for adoption due to her dwarfism. After spending time in an orphanage and unstable homes, she was brought to the U.S. through international adoption by New Hampshire couple Dyan and Gary Ciccone in 2008, according to court documents and PEOPLE. However, they later gave her up, and in 2010, she was adopted by the Barnetts, an Indiana couple with three sons.
How Old Was Natalia Grace When She Was Adopted?
Grace was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010 at the age of six. However, the Barnetts grew suspicious of her age when they claimed to have discovered that she had pubic hair, was menstruating, and had developed many adult teeth. In 2012, they petitioned the Marion County probate court to legally change Grace’s birth year from 2003 to 1989. This process, known as “re-aging,” effectively transformed their 8-year-old daughter into a 22-year-old adult overnight.
In 2013, the Barnetts moved Grace into apartments in Westfield and Lafayette, Indiana, where she was left to live alone while the rest of the family relocated to Canada.
Grace eventually moved in with another family, Cynthia Mans and her husband, Christian pastor Antwon Mans, along with their 10 children. However, life remained difficult for Grace as she dealt with the trauma of her past while trying to become more independent. In 2023, the Mans family legally adopted Grace and restored her birth year to 2003. Despite this, after spending 10 years with the family, Grace made the decision to leave in December 2023 and escape the Mans household.
How Old Is Natalia Grace Now?
Grace, born in 2003, is now 21 years old.
Where Is Natalia Grace Today?
After Grace escaped the Mans family, she went to live with Nicole and Vince DePaul, a couple who had previously attempted to adopt her, at their home in upstate New York.
In January 2025, Grace shared with PEOPLE that she is now preparing for independent living by learning to drive and studying for her GED. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “It’s been a big learning curve for me. For the most part, I’ve made peace. It is definitely a blessing to be alive today. There’s nothing I can do to change the past.”
