What Is Natalia Grace Up To Now? Her Journey After ‘Good American Family’

The tale of Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian orphan diagnosed with a rare dwarfism condition who was accused by her previous adoptive family of posing as a child, continues to intrigue many.

A documentary titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter” unveiled new complexities in Grace’s story. Additionally, Hulu’s drama series, “Good American Family,” featuring Ellen Pompeo, offers a fictionalized representation of Natalia’s experiences.

“Who is the true Natalia? What are her real feelings?” legal analyst Beth Karas questions in an exclusive clip from “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter,” which was shared with TODAY.com.

The Investigation Discovery series wrapped up its initial two seasons with “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” (2023) and “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks” (2024).

Where is Natalia Grace currently residing?

According to the docuseries, Grace is now living in upstate New York with a couple named Nicole and Vincent DePaul, both of whom also have dwarfism. She began living with the DePauls following a series of adoptions that ended in turmoil.

Discover more about Grace’s journey below.

Who are Michael and Kristine Barnett?

Grace’s narrative originated in Indiana with the Barnett family.

In 2010, Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Grace, who had three biological sons. As Michael described in the docuseries, Grace’s Ukrainian birth certificate listed her birthday as September 4, 2003, at the time of the adoption.

As depicted in the docuseries, the family began to question whether Grace was actually an adult masquerading as a child, alleging that she attempted to inflict harm upon them. “I cannot articulate the daily, abject horror we lived with,” Michael expressed in one episode.

Michael stated that he and Kristine began to doubt Grace’s age when they noticed she had body hair during bath time. He also mentioned that Grace had menstruated, to which Grace later responded in season two that the bleeding was a consequence of Kristine forcing her to use tampons at the age of 7.

Four months post-adoption, according to Michael in the docuseries, Grace unsettled his children by hiding their toys and tossing them into the street, as well as urinating on his youngest son. He further claimed that Grace jumped from his moving vehicle in public to create the impression of a “poor, helpless little girl.”

In season two of the docuseries, Grace countered the Barnetts’ assertion that they woke one night to find her at the foot of their bed holding a knife. This was impossible, Grace contended, given her weak grip and inability to see over the bed frame.

“It’s a falsehood,” said Grace, adding, “I am an 8-year-old, 37-pound little girl … I have never attempted to harm anyone.”

Both Grace and the Barnetts have denied the allegations against one another. TODAY.com reached out to the lawyers representing Natalia Grace and Michael and Kristine Barnett, but no responses were received.

In the docuseries, Grace also dismissed claims that she attempted to poison Kristine by mixing a cleaning product into her coffee cup and stated, “I want to kill you.” Grace asserted that Kristine had hit her and forced her to spray cleaner inside her cup for a staged scene.

What is Natalia Grace’s age?

According to Grace, she was indeed a child at the time of her adoption.

NBC News acquired court documents in 2019 stating that hospital records, spaced two years apart, approximated her age as 8 and 11. A dentist featured in the docuseries assessed Natalia’s age based on 2011 X-rays, estimating her to be around 8 or 9 years old.

In 2012, the Barnetts altered Grace’s birth certificate to indicate a birth year of 1989, as detailed in the docuseries. In one episode, Grace underwent a DNA test that suggested she was approximately 22 years old at the time, indicating she was a minor at her adoption.

The Barnetts provided Grace an apartment to live in independently while they moved to Canada, as outlined in court documents reviewed by TODAY.com.

Michael and Kristine, who later divorced, faced charges of felony neglect of a dependent. Michael was acquitted in 2022, and Kristine’s charges were dismissed in 2023.

Kristine Barnett did not respond to requests for comments from the docuseries, although she described it as a “highly sensationalized show” in a since-deleted Facebook post. She asserted that Grace “was a very much loved and cared for member of my family” and characterized their discipline as “very minimal” and “within normal parenting bounds.”

Kristine added, “It is troubling that these false accusations are arising after a trial with evidence that was dismissed. It’s akin to being assumed guilty after being proven innocent.”

Who are Natalia Grace’s latest adoptive parents, Cynthia and Bishop Antwon Mans?

In June 2023, Grace was adopted by Antwon and Cynthia Mans from Indiana, who have several other children. In the inaugural season of the docuseries, Michael mentioned that the Mans met Grace when she was living independently and welcomed her into their home just three days later.

“Being adopted is an incredible experience,” Grace expressed in the season 2 finale. “Especially when you find that perfect family.”

However, six months post-adoption, Antwon and Cynthia Mans, who now reside in Tennessee, reached out to the documentary producers.

“Something’s not right with Natalia,” Antwon commented in a recorded call that aired in the series. “She’s acting strangely. I feel like she’s turned the family against us … Making us out to be the bad guys.”

Cynthia added during the call, “Natalia is betraying her family over a complete falsehood.”

“She has done other things as well,” Antwon stated. “But this was a new low. Natalia exhibits no emotions except for herself. We’re finished with her.”

Who are Nicole and Vincent DePaul, Natalia Grace’s current guardians?

The New York couple, Nicole and Vincent DePaul, had attempted to adopt Grace in 2009 and expressed in the docuseries that they always felt a connection to Grace.

The docuseries illustrates how Nicole and her adult daughter visited Grace in Tennessee, where she was at a church with her adoptive parents. Grace excused herself to use the restroom, then discreetly left with the DePauls.

From the outset, however, Grace had conflicts with the DePauls, as depicted in the documentary.

Nicole DePaul informed the documentary producers that she disapproved of Grace’s choice to allow Cynthia Mans to manage her disability benefits. In the docuseries, Nicole relayed that Grace confided in her about alleged abuse from Antwon and Cynthia Mans, although Grace denied those allegations during the filming.

TODAY.com reached out for comments from both the Mans and DePaul families. The Mans did not respond, while Nicole DePaul opted not to comment.

By the conclusion of the docuseries, Grace is shown to be living peacefully with the DePauls.

“Would I do it all again?” Nicole remarked. “Absolutely! It has been worthwhile!”

“I didn’t experience a normal childhood — it was taken from me,” Grace reflected in the series. She added, “I left my sheltered life to explore. It feels amazing to know that I can actually do this.”

A version of this story was first published on Jan. 5, 2024.