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 version of the docuseries titled The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks is set to premiere on January 1 and Natalia will tell her side of the story. Find out more about the upcoming doc and where Natalia is now below.
Where is Natalia Grace Now?
Natalia is speaking out publicly in a new six-part ID docuseries. In a trailer for the highly anticipated series, the now 20-year-old gives 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 the preview video. “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 new show, 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.”
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 new docuseries will take 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 will also be confronting her former adoptive parents in the docuseries. She will give insight into her next chapter and share a glimpse of her life with her new adoptive parents. Bishop Antown and Christina Manns, Natalia’s current adoptive parents, will sit down for an exclusive interview in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks.
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.
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks premieres on January 1. The six-part series will air over three consecutive nights on ID at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
