It’s every parent’s worse nightmare. An adoption gone horribly wrong, a family destroyed, and an unbelievable tale of betrayal and deceit that belongs in a horror flick. Yet, this week, the true story of the little girl that wasn’t, Natalia Grace, is coming to ID Discovery — as a documentary. The case dives into the hard-to-believe, but true, story of Natalia Grace, an alleged adult woman who passed herself off as a Ukranian orphan. Here is the horrifying backstory behind this new documentary.
It is the story of how one couple’s dream came true, quickly turns into a nightmare as the adorable six-year-old they brought home from Ukraine, turns out to be someone else. Not only do they believe she is in reality an adult con artist, but her violent tendencies quickly hold the family hostage. It is the stuff of horror movies, but it is the true story of Natalia Grace brought to life in ID‘s latest documentary, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.
If you are thinking this story sounds familiar, it is because it is. You have probably heard of the movie Orphan, the tale of a young adopted girl who is revealed to be a violent adult. Well, Natalia Grace’s story was reportedly one of the true stories that inspired the movie. We find it terrifying that there is more than one to choose from, but along with another adoption horror story, these tales inspired the film and its sequel.
Natalia’s story begins in 2010, when an Indiana couple, Kristine and Michael Barnett, adopted what they believed to be a six-year-old Ukrainian girl with dwarfism through an adoption agency in Florida. The couple claimed the agency only gave them 24 hours to decide if they wanted to adopt Natalia. Worried about the little girl’s future, the couple had accepted, though looking back, they see the pressure they were under to take the “child.”
The Barnett’s adoption nightmare
Soon after bringing her home, the couple reported Natalia exhibited strange and violent behavior and they began to notice signs that the girl was not who she claimed to be. The Barnetts claimed that they began to grow suspicious when they noticed Natalia growing pubic hair and realized she had a menstrual cycle, both things that would prove quite unusual for a six-year-old girl. Then things, they claim, got worse. Natalia began hoarding knives and threatened to kill the family while they slept. Although apparently, her acts went beyond threats as the couple woke to find Natalia standing at the foot of their bed in the middle of the night with a knife in hand. They also claim she attempted to poison her adopted mother Kristine by pouring cleaning products in her coffee and threatened harm to their biological children also. Natalia later claimed these events were “misunderstandings.”
After the couple sent Natalia to a mental health facility, she was reportedly diagnosed as “sociopathic” and was reportedly overtly sexual with staff and other patients, yet another odd quality for a young girl to exhibit. According to BBC News, while at the facility, she also revealed that she was older than she had claimed, although Natalia denies that now. The Barnetts also allege bone tests proved she was older, as did the presence of adult teeth. They said they finally came to the conclusion that Natalia’s birth certificate had been forged.
The couple, now experiencing problems of their own, finally went to court to have the birth certificate changed, calling Natalia a “sociopathic adult” who was out to manipulate and harm the family for her own gain. It was determined that Natalia was actually 23 years old, 14 years older than initially claimed. The couple rented Natalia an apartment as they went through a bitter divorce and eventually moved to Canada once Natalia’s lease was up. The neighbors reported that Natalia was initially friendly but then began exhibiting very bizarre behavior, including showing up unannounced in their homes and reportedly stalking them, which Natalia later admitted to on a 911 call. The neighbors also reported, similarly to the mental health facility staff, that Natalia was very sexual, including towards married men and even children.
Natalia Grace tells all
Yet as they say, there are two sides to every story and some neighbors claim it was a case of neglect. Due to Natalia’s short stature, they claimed she could not climb the stairs to her apartment, and could not even reach the kitchen counter to make food. They reported she lived on foot stamps to get by and eventually social services did get involved when Natalia’s power was shut off. She was taken in by neighbors who have been outspoken both about her young age and that they have experienced no problems having her in their home.
In 2019, neglect charges were filed against the Barnetts. Although initially they were filed under “child neglect” because of the age change, the charges then became “dependent neglect.” The courts argued that because of Natalia’s dwarfism, she was still dependent on the Barnetts regardless of age. Eventually, both parents were found “not guilty.”
Even more strangely, Natalia’s case caught the attention of producers of the Dr. Phil show, and she made an appearance. She continued her claim that she truly was six years old upon her adoption and was only eight years old when she was forced to live alone in the apartment. She said she was 16 at the time of her appearance on the show, not 30 as court records claimed. Dr. Phil seemed to agree with her, questioning if because of her background, she even knew her real age. Regardless, he seemed to feel the parents should have stuck around as opposed to “quitting” on her.
The case has never been fully settled. Due to Natalia’s type of dwarfism, which affects bone growth, it is hard to get a final answer on her age. Natalia continues to claim the Bartnetts abandoned her at just eight years old, while the Barnetts continue to claim she is a scam artist in her 30s. Regardless, it is certainly not the typical adoption story and one whose sordid details will be unraveled in the upcoming three-part series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, premiering on ID Monday, May 29th at 9:00 pm EST.