From controversial adoptions to a daring escape and now a hit television series, Natalia Grace’s journey is stranger than fiction. Her story, riddled with courtroom drama, viral headlines and conflicting accounts, has fascinated the public for over a decade. But behind the sensationalism lies a young woman who has fought for her independence—and is finally finding peace.
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Now living with a new family and chasing her dreams, Natalia is showing the world that she's more than just a headline. And with a fresh series dramatising her life, she’s taking back control of her narrative—one scene at a time.
A decade of controversy: Natalia Grace's long and turbulent timeline
Natalia Grace was adopted from Ukraine in 2008 and entered the spotlight when Kristine and Michael Barnett, her adoptive parents from Indiana, claimed she was not a child but an adult masquerading as one. Diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism—spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita—Natalia’s age became a subject of dispute.
The Barnetts alleged disturbing behaviour from Natalia, including signs of puberty—including the presence of pubic hair, a menstrual cycle— signs of mental illness, and violence. In 2012, they successfully petitioned to change her birth year to 1989, legally making her an adult. They later moved to Canada, leaving her alone in an apartment.
Legal and media storms followed. A DNA test later showed Natalia had in fact been a child around the age of nine at the time of her adoption, casting doubt on the Barnetts’ claims. In 2013, Natalia was taken in by Cynthia and Bishop Antwon Mans, a religious couple who would eventually adopt her in 2023. However, things did not improve for Natalia.
As reported by People, multiple witnesses later alleged that the Manses physically abused Natalia, locking her in rooms, slapping her and even whipping her with belts. Though Natalia did not confirm or deny these allegations, the third season of Investigation Discovery’s docuseries, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, gave viewers an insight into the turmoil she experienced.
After nearly a decade with the Mans family, Natalia devised a secret plan to leave in 2023 with the help of her friends Nicole and Vince DePaul, a couple who tried to adopt her several years ago.
Just days before Christmas, she fled the household in the middle of the night.
Natalia recalled to People:
The last thing I told my sisters were, 'You guys go ahead to the church sanctuary and I love you.’
And then I saw the [DePauls] pull up and Mack jumped out and I'm like, 'Oh, my gosh, she's actually here.' My heart started pounding. I was terrified. I was completely terrified.
She also mentioned that she texted her adoptive mother, who she calls mom, shortly after to let her know that she has left.
What Natalia Grace is doing now: A new life in New York
Since her escape in late 2023, Natalia has been living in upstate New York with the DePauls. Nicole DePaul told People:
At first it was bumpy because the Mans were still involved. They were calling Natalia constantly and trying to wheel her back in.
Although Nicole has no plans to adopt Natalia legally, she and her husband Vince have opened their home to her. The couple say they are focused on guiding Natalia, not controlling her. Vince shared:
We're trying to guide Natalia, not control her. She's super sweet. She wouldn't hurt a fly.
Nicole added:
She's also never done one violent thing ever.
Our dogs love her and they sleep with her. I'm an animal lover. If I didn't trust her, I wouldn't leave my babies with her. They're also a judge of character, as well.
While there have been challenges—such as the time Natalia secretly recorded the DePauls—Nicole attributes these to Natalia’s diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder (RAD), which is common in children with trauma or orphanage experience. Nicole admitted:
Did she probably do weird things in the past? Yeah.
[But] when you take in a child, you take that child as your own. You don’t just get rid of them when they don’t fit into your puzzle.
Now 21, Natalia is working toward her GED and dreams of becoming a schoolteacher. She is also learning to drive, and preparing for surgeries related to her condition.
As for her emotional state, Natalia seems to be finding peace. She told People:
It’s a blessing to be alive today because looking back at my 7-year-old self, I should have been dead.
Learning everything that I have about how to live with my dwarfism—it’s been a great experience. I love it. I mean, of course, I still miss my siblings and everything. But I love it. I feel free.
Natalia’s story on screen: Good American Family and Imogen Faith Reid
The story of Natalia Grace has now made its way into the world of scripted drama with Hulu’s Good American Family, which premiered on March 19. The series stars Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass as the fictionalised adoptive parents, while British newcomer Imogen Faith Reid plays Natalia.
Hulu describes the series as one told from ‘multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias and trauma.’ Series creator Katie Robbins said the role of Natalia was particularly difficult to cast:
It was such a challenging part, and it lived and died on finding somebody who could play it.
Reid, 27, had never acted in a major role before but impressed everyone with her emotional depth and vulnerability.
Reid told TODAY.com that she didn’t think she would be cast but went ahead with making a self-tape of her audition anyway. She said:
I went for it anyway because there was nothing to lose. And I think I had done about 400 takes of that self-tape.
She didn’t reach out to Natalia Grace in preparation for the role. Instead, she focused on creating her own interpretation. She said:
I wanted to play my own version. And something that was really important for me was to portray that light and empowerment.
Just wanting to fight for that justice and to be seen. Those were some key elements that I wanted to implement.
Reid worked with a dialect coach and also studied physicality to reflect Natalia’s condition. She hopes Good American Family inspires viewers to reconsider snap judgements. She said:
We all have lived such different lives, and it’s about just taking that grace for yourself and understanding (that) it's OK and everybody’s different. That’s what makes us, us.
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Sources used:
People: Inside Natalia Grace's New Life with Family of Little People in New York: 'It Is Definitely a Blessing to Be Alive'
Forbes: Where Is Natalia Grace Now? Her Life Today After Accusing Two Families Of Abuse
USA Today: Natalia Grace Barnett case subject of 'Good American Family': Here's what to know
TODAY.com: Meet Imogen Faith Reid, the 27-year-old playing Natalia Grace in ‘Good American Family’
