Who is Natalia Grace Barnett – and where is she now? ID’s docuseries covers the bizarre story of Kristine and Michael Barnett’s adopted daughter, whose age was debated due to dwarfism
- The internet is divided over the bizarre case of Natalia Grace Barnett, the Ukrainian orphan with a rare dwarfism condition who was accused of being older – but there’s more to her story
- Natalia Grace has been the focus of a two-part ID docuseries, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks – which just came out this month
The internet is divided over the bizarre case of Natalia Grace Barnett, the Ukrainian orphan with a rare dwarfism condition who’s been in the headlines for her complicated relationship with her former adoptive parents Kristine and Michael Barnett.
Per Business Insider, the Barnetts claimed that Natalia Grace was secretly an adult when she joined their family in 2010.
Natalia Grace’s story has been the focus of a two-part ID docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks. The first part was released in May last year – investigating her adoptive parents’ claims that she was secretly an adult – and the second part, which came out this month, allows Natalia Grace’s version to be heard. The series streams on Discovery+ and Max, which can be subscribed to via Amazon.
If you haven’t seen the popular docuseries yet, here’s a summary of her background, current situation, and the reason why netizens are drawing parallels between her case and the one in the unsettling 2009 film, Orphan.
What did the Barnetts say about Natalia Grace?
According to Today, Natalia Grace Barnett was adopted by Indiana couple Michael and Kristen Barnett in 2010. Michael explained in the docuseries how Natalia Grace’s Ukrainian birth certificate indicated she was six years old at the time.
He said that the couple quickly started questioning Natalia Grace’s age, noticing things like pubic hair and menstruation. Michael also noticed a supposed “dark side” to his adopted daughter, saying she would do things like urinate on his youngest son and even allegedly trying to kill Kristine by poisoning her coffee and dragging her into an electric fence, per Today.
Natalia Grace has since rebutted the claims, stating that Michael and Kristine were taking ideas from the 2009 horror film Orphan, where a newly adopted daughter goes on a murderous rampage against her family.
According to Today, the Barnetts successfully changed Natalia Grace’s birth year to reflect the fact that she was supposedly born in 1989, and they moved her into a rented flat for her to live alone in before moving to Canada.