Natalia Grace was adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett at the age of six in 2010, and in May, she made headlines when her story was told in the Investigation Discovery docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. The series showcased how Michael and Kristine accused their adoptive daughter, who has a rare genetic disorder called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, of trying to kill them after her adoption. They also alleged that she was not a child, but instead, an adult sociopath with ulterior motives.
A new series based on the case, titled Good American Family, is set to premiere on March 19, 2025, starring Ellen Pompeo. According to Hulu’s logline, Good American Family tells the story from “multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias and trauma.” Find out more about the upcoming project and where Natalia is now below.
Where is Natalia Grace Now?
Natalia has given her perspective on what happened after she was adopted by Michael and Kristine in 2010.
“In every lie is a hidden truth, but you’ve gotta dig enough to be able to see it,” Natalia says in a preview video for the ID docuseries. “They’re not going to get away with this. This is my side of the story. Do I look like a monster to you?”
In the series, released in 2023, Natalia claims she never tried to harm her adoptive parents or any other family members after her adoption. “I was never in y’all’s room with a knife,” she said in the trailer before Michael responded with, “I know what I saw.”
In an interview with People, she shared ahead of the new upcoming Hulu series and ID’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter, “Learning everything that I have about how to live with my dwarfism—it’s been a great experience,” she says. “I love it. I mean, of course, I still miss my siblings and everything. But I love it. I feel free.” She also revealed that she is currently living with Nicole and Vince DePaul.
What Happened to Natalia Grace?
Natalia was accused of trying to kill her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine, who eventually split in 2018. Two years after adopting Natalia, the couple petitioned a court to change her birth year from 2003 to 1989, making her 20 when they adopted her. They then moved with their three sons to Canada, leaving Natalia to live alone in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, the following year.
The docuseries took a look at the “adoption saga and the Barnetts’ allegations from Natalia’s perspective, offering insight into what really went on behind closed doors in the Barnetts’ home.” It will also feature “previously unseen evidence and footage as well as new theories and testimony from an array of voices, including the retired FBI agents who initially investigated Natalia’s case and genetic experts who help determine Natalia’s true age.”
Natalia confronted her former adoptive parents in the ID docuseries. She gave insight into her next chapter and shared a glimpse of her life with her other adoptive parents. Bishop Antown and Christina Manns, Natalia’s former adoptive parents, sat down for an exclusive interview in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks. While she was adopted by the couple, news later revealed they were very controlling over her life. She eventually escaped and, as of 2025, now lives with the DePaul family.
What Happened to Michael and Kristine Barnett?
Six years after moving away from Natalia, both Michael and Kristine were charged in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, with neglect of a dependent, neglect of a dependent causing bodily injury, neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury, endangering a dependent’s life, abandoning or cruelly confining a dependent, and conspiracy to neglect a dependent in connection to their move. They pleaded not guilty. In 2022, Michael was found not guilty on his charges and prosecutors dropped their case against his ex-wife in March 2023.
