Natalia Grace’s Mother and father: The place Are Michael and Kristine Barnett At present?

• “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” follows Natalia Grace Mans’ life.
• Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted her and petitioned a court docket to re-age her.
• Natalia now not lives with the Barnetts, who’ve divorced. Here is what we learn about them right this moment.

“The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” explores the advanced story of Natalia Grace Mans and the authorized saga involving Natalia and her former adoptive mother and father, Michael and Kristine Barnett.

Natalia, a Ukrainian orphan with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, was adopted by the Barnetts, who later deserted Natalia after claiming she was truly an grownup pretending to be a baby. The now-divorced couple, who stated they believed Natalia to be six years previous once they first adopted her in 2010, claimed that Natalia made violent threats towards members of the family — together with making an attempt to poison Kristine — and that she had pubic hair and menstrual cycles. Natalia has persistently denied all the Barnetts’ claims concerning her violent conduct and faking her age.

After sending their adopted daughter to a psychiatric hospital, Michael and Kristine turned satisfied that Natalia was secretly an grownup and efficiently petitioned in court docket to vary Natalia’s age from eight to 22, altering her start 12 months from 2003 to 1989. The Barnetts then moved Natalia into an unbiased residence, first in Westfield, Indiana, in 2012, after which in Lafayette, Indiana, in 2013 and left the nation, transferring to Canada to help their eldest son’s graduate training. In 2019, they confronted neglect prices in connection to Natalia’s case. Michael was acquitted of the costs in October 2022, and the costs towards Kristine have been dismissed in March 2023.

“The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” first aired on Investigation Discovery in Might 2023 and centered on the Barnett household’s perspective. Within the second a part of the documentary sequence titled “Natalia Speaks,” which aired in January 2024, Natalia informed her aspect of the story. The third installment, titled “The Closing Chapter,” premiered in January 2025 and focuses on her departure from the Mans household.

In “Natalia Speaks,” Natalia alleged that her adoptive mom, Kristine Barnett, abused her as a baby and coached her to say that she was older than she truly was. Michael stated in a dialog with Natalia featured within the documentary that his ex-wife additionally manipulated him, and stated that Kristine, who did not take part within the docuseries, was merciless to Natalia.

When reached for remark, Kristine Barnett stated in an e-mail to Enterprise Insider that allegations that she “deserted” or “abused” Natalia have been false, sustaining that Natalia was decided to be an grownup by events apart from herself and Michael. She stated that she had declined to take part within the ID docuseries.

“The ‘proof’ offered on the TV present didn’t undergo the courts or any authorized requirements to be verified as true,” she stated.

Here is every part we learn about the place Michael and Kristine Barnett are actually.

Michael and Kristine cut up in 2014

The Barnetts cut up up lengthy earlier than they made their claims towards Natalia public in 2019.

The Lafayette Journal & Courier reported that Michael Barnett left Canada in late 2013 and moved again to Indianapolis. Per court docket paperwork accessed by USA At present, Kristine stated Michael moved again to Indiana after an unspecified “incident impacting the youngsters” in fall 2013 earlier than submitting for divorce from her in February 2014. Their divorce was finalized 4 years later.

Michael later remarried, he says within the docuseries.

In 2019, the previous couple have been charged with neglecting Natalia

Whereas Natalia was legally an grownup as a result of Barnetts re-aging her in court docket, she was nonetheless categorised as a dependent of the Barnetts on account of her incapacity.

In 2019, Michael and Kristine have been charged with neglect of a dependent, Fox 59 reported citing court docket paperwork filed in Tippecanoe County in Indiana. In accordance with the Lafayette Journal & Courier in 2022, the couple have been particularly charged with neglect of a dependent, neglect of a dependent inflicting bodily harm, neglect of a dependent inflicting severe bodily harm, and conspiracy to neglect a dependent.

Testifying in court docket towards Michael throughout his trial, Natalia defined how her uncommon form of dwarfism may cause skeletal abnormalities and points with imaginative and prescient and listening to. In accordance with Natalia, she was unable to wash herself or use a washer resulting from her mobility points and subsisted totally on instantaneous noodles, pizza, and peanut butter sandwiches whereas dwelling on her personal in Indiana.

Michael Barnett was acquitted of neglect prices after a jury trial

Per the Journal & Courier, Michael turned himself in to authorities in September 2019, and bonded out. On the time, information indicated that he lived in Indianapolis.

Per the identical publication, an October 2019 gag order meant that anybody concerned within the case was forbidden from making public feedback in regards to the case.

Michael was acquitted of the costs in October 2022. Within the documentary sequence, Natalia says that Michael reached out to her to talk after the gag order was lifted. In the course of the dialog, he stated that he and Natalia had “the identical monster” in Kristine, however finally stormed out of the encounter after Natalia’s guardian, Bishop Antwon Mans, requested him to cease swearing.

A lawyer for Michael Barnett declined to remark when reached by Enterprise Insider.

Michael Barnett additionally appeared in “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Closing Chapter,” which premiered in January 2025. He stated that he hoped Natalia would be capable of “discover happiness.”

“I am simply making an attempt to maneuver on. I am gonna do every part I can to not give it some thought,” Michael stated in episode certainly one of “The Closing Chapter.”

Kristine Barnett’s neglect prices have been dismissed

Kristine turned herself in shortly after Michael in September 2019, in response to the Journal & Courier. On the time, her jail information confirmed that she lived in Bradenton, Florida, although the costs listed an Indianapolis handle.

In March 2023, a Tippecanoe County decide signed the order to dismiss the costs towards Kristine, per the Journal & Courier, citing “inadequate proof” at trial to show the costs on this case past an inexpensive doubt.”

In 2013, Kristine revealed the ebook “The Spark: A Mom’s Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism” about elevating her son Jacob. In a January 10 audio house on X, which Kristine despatched to BI through e-mail, she stated that the allegations towards her interfered together with her profession as a parenting creator and marketing consultant.

“I do not know after I’ll be again to work. I wish to be again to work,” Kristine stated within the house across the 2:06:00 mark. “I have been waking up on daily basis for the previous 5 years mourning the truth that my work is gone. I hope I get it again.”

All 4 episodes of “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Closing Chapter” are streaming on Max.