Entertainment
Real age of adopted girl accused of being a 22-year-old woman by parents finally revealed-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro
‘They ruined a kid’s life.’
Natalia Grace has found out her true age after been accused of lying by her adoptive parents (Picture: Discovery)
A new documentary has revealed the true age of a woman whose adoptive parents claimed she was actually an adult when entering their home.
Back in 2010 Indiana couple Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Natalia Grace, a young Ukrainian girl with form of dwarfism who they believed to be six years old.
However, they then accused her of being a sociopathic adult ‘masquerading’ as a child.
It was then alleged she had ‘periods, adult teeth and pubic hair’ and was actually 22.
In a documentary last year, the family spoke about living with their adopted daughter, with Michael claiming she tried to ‘kill them’ in their own home.
The family also accused Natalia of emotionally and physically abusing them, as well as of looming over them while they were sleeping with a knife in her hand – a claim she has always denied.
She broke down when the truth was revealed (Picture: Discovery)
Now, more than six months on from that original film, a follow-up that saw Natalia defend herself seems to have confirmed her story.
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks was released this week and showed Natalia being given confirmation through a blood test that she was approximately 22 years old, suggesting she was nine years old when adopted in 2010.
At the time of the lab test, which happened in August last year, Natalia believed she was around 20.
In the documentary she said that ‘this one little piece of paper throws every single lie that the Barnetts has said right into the trash with a match’.
‘This is so big. Because literally, this has been 13 years of just two people lying their butts off. They ruined a kid’s life. They painted [me] as some big monster.’
‘It just proves that I was not lying about my age.
Michael Barnett was charged with neglect before being found not guilty (Picture: Tippecanoe County Jail)
‘They ignored everything that was pointing to the truth just so they could create this stupid lie.’
She added: ‘They knew it and they still did what they did.’
After adopting Natalia, Michael and Kristine had claimed they became suspicious of Natalia’s age, leading to accusations that she was posing as a child, but was really an adult woman with sinister intentions.
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They accused her of trying to poison Kristine’s coffee and kill her by dragging her towards an electric fence.
During an interview on Good Morning America, Michael had previously claimed that doctors allegedly treating Natalia told them she was a ‘sociopath and con artist’, and that the family were ‘all in danger’.
In 2012, two years after adopting Natalia, they petitioned for her age to legally be changed to 22 and the following year moved to Canada without her, leaving her in an apartment.
Although they were initially charged with neglect of a dependent, Michael was found not guilty while charges against his wife were dropped.
Despite the confirmation of her age, the documentary series ended with an almighty cliff-hanger after the couple that adopted her after she was left by the Barnett’s suggested something was now amiss in their household as well.
In the final moments of the documentary, her adopted father Antwon Mans was heard claiming Natalia ‘does not have emotions for nothing but herself’ and that he and wife Cynthia are ‘done’ with her.
The documentary ended on a cliff-hanger, with it appearing Antwon and Cynthia Mans are now suspicious of Natalia (Picture: CBS)
An audio recording then played, in which viewers heard Antwon saying they’d been tricked by Natalia.
‘Something ain’t right with Natalia. This girl is tweakin’. I feel like she’s the enemy in the house. And she said to us, we have held her hostage. Made us look like we’re the enemy.’
His wife added: ‘Natalia is stabbing her family in the back over a complete lie.’
Although another season of the series has not yet been announced, it ended with the statement: ‘Natalia’s story will continue.’
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks is streaming on Discovery Plus.
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