Current:Home > FinanceNatalia Grace Docuseries: Why the Ukrainian Orphan Is Calling Her Adoptive Mom a "Monster" -FinanceMind
Natalia Grace Docuseries: Why the Ukrainian Orphan Is Calling Her Adoptive Mom a "Monster"
Will Sage Astor View
Date:2025-04-08 02:27:16
Natalia Grace is speaking out about her time with the Barnetts.
After the mysterious case of the Ukrainian native—who was adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in 2010 when she was 6 years old—was previously explored in harrowing detail, she's ready to share her side of the story.
Though the former couple have alleged that Natalia—who has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare genetic disorder—was not a child, but rather a dangerous adult who subsequently attempted to kill them, Natalia has maintained that she was a young girl looking forward to her future when the Barnetts took her in.
But instead, she believes there was ulterior motives behind her adoption from the beginning.
"Kristine said that adopting me was this mission of love and never once did I see any love," Natalia says in an exclusive look at the ID docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks. "I feel like it was a mission of boosting her ego type of thing. I feel like she just wanted people to be like, ‘Oh my goodness, like she's this amazing person.'"
As Natalia further explained, "'She just adopted a little girl from the Ukraine who has dwarfism and has all these different medical issues and everything like that. You know, she's a great mom for wanting to help somebody, right?'"
However, she maintains that her adoptive mom's persona was really a "mask."
"Have this really nice smile, 'I'm a great mom,'" she continues. "But and then it's like, pull that mask off—this is who she really is, like your true colors. Kristine was a monster. I didn't know what she was going to do next."
E! News has reached out to reps for Michael and Kristine Barnett for comment and has not heard back.
In 2012, the Barnetts petitioned a court to change Natalia's birth year from 2003 to 1989, making her 20 years old when they adopted her and accused her of attempting to harm them on several different occasions.
Michael and Kristine subsequently moved with their three sons to Canada, leaving Natalia to live by herself in an apartment in Lafayette, Ind., the following year.
Six years later, Michael and Kristine—who finalized their divorce in 2018—were brought up on charges in connection to their move. Michael was found not guilty on his charges in 2022, while prosecutors dropped their case against his ex-wife this past March.
The latest installment of Natalia's twisted adoption story will take a closer look at the "saga and the Barnetts' allegations from Natalia's perspective," according to a press release from ID, "offering insight into what really went on behind closed doors in the Barnetts' home."
The three-night docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks kicks off Jan. 1 at 9/8c on ID.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (98891)
Related
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Fire deep in a gold mine kills almost 30 workers in Peru
- Twitter employees quit in droves after Elon Musk's ultimatum passes
- Jason Ritter Reveals Which of His Roles Would Be His Dad's Favorite
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Pregnant Jessie J Pens Heartfelt Message to Her Baby Boy Ahead of His Birth
- Elon Musk allows Donald Trump back on Twitter
- Selena Gomez Is a Blushing Bride in Only Murders in the Building Behind-the-Scenes Photos
- Average rate on 30
- Twitter's Safety Chief Quit. Here's Why.
Ranking
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- The world generates so much data that new unit measurements were created to keep up
- Why Gaten Matarazzo Has a Deep Fear Ahead of Stranger Things' Final Season
- We Ranked All of Reese Witherspoon's Rom-Coms—What, Like It's Hard?
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- How Twitter became one of the world's preferred platforms for sharing ideas
- Transcript: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Face the Nation, May 7, 2023
- See Bella Hadid Celebrate 5-Month Sobriety Milestone
Recommendation
US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
Olivia Culpo Teases So Much Drama With Sisters Sophia and Aurora Culpo
1000-Lb. Sisters’ Amy Slaton and Husband Michael Halterman Break Up After 4 Years of Marriage
'The Callisto Protocol' Review: Guts, Death, and Robots
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Transcript: Rep. Patrick McHenry on Face the Nation, May 7, 2023
A congressional report says financial technology companies fueled rampant PPP fraud
Why Kieran Culkin Hasn't Met Brother Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song's New Baby Yet