Natalia Grace has denied physically abusing her adoptive parents Christine and Michael Barnett.
21-year-old, who was Born with a dwarftalked about the fall. of his relations with the Barnetts In a new interview published on Friday (January 3). In 2010, the then six-year-old Ukrainian girl was adopted by Christine and Michael, who lived in Indiana and had three children together.
Grace’s family life quickly fell apart with questions about her real age from her adoptive parents, who successfully petitioned in 2012 to have her date of birth changed from 2003 to 1989. Go, his age should be reduced to 22 years. This change was apparently based on evidence, including this fact. It had not grown in two years. A year later, Michael and Christine moved to Canada with their three children, moved Grace to their apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and stopped contacting her.
In 2023 documentaries, The interesting case of Natalia GraceChristine and Michael accuse Grace of hurting them, with claims that she threatened them with a knife, scared the couple’s youngest son, and allegedly tried to poison Christine’s coffee. The Barnetts also said that professionals told them that Natalia was a social therapist and that their family was in danger.
Now, Grace has publicly denied his remarks in the interview. people.
“I feel like I have to defend myself and be like, ‘Do I look like someone who can push someone twice my size into a fence? Do I think I can hold a knife.’ ?he explained, referring to his rare medical condition, which makes it difficult for him to move his fingers.
“I feel like I was brainwashed by the Barnetts,” he continued. “Christine trained me to lie about my age and say I tried to kill my parents. Why would you do that to your child?”
After leaving Grace in Lafayette, Michael went to trial on neglect charges in October 2022. Natalia testified herself, describing how a Lafayette family took her in and taught her life skills she had never learned under the Barnetts, such as how to read and write. , and wash her hair.
Michael was found not guilty of three counts of neglect and one count of conspiracy to neglect a dependent. Charges against Christine were dismissed in March 2023.
Grace has also spoken out about the intense criticism she has received since the documentary’s release, including those claiming she was a “fake”, “liar” and “pedophile”.
“I’m also known for the little girl who was helpless and beaten and starved and all that,” she said. people. “It’s not who I am. But it seems to be the only thing people know – and that’s why it hurts me so much.”
She contemplated leaving the Barnetts in Lafayette’s apartment and how she struggled to reach the counter in her kitchen because of it. Dwarfism.
“I didn’t really like the girl who had grown old again and lived in her own apartment,” he explained. “I didn’t understand why I was single. I just knew that I had this instinct to push on and survive. I was just told, ‘You’re 22 now. Whenever someone asks you What is your age? You say you are 22 years old and you tried to kill your family.’ I have been taught to lie.”
After a month of living alone in Lafayette, she moved in with Cynthia Mann and her husband, Christopher “Anton” Manns, and their 10 children. While he was initially charged $250 a month in rent, he was legally adopted by Cynthia and her husband in 2023. By this time, she had also undergone some extensive medical tests and her age was restored with a birth year of 2003.
However, as Grace helped take care of her younger siblings and adopted a religious lifestyle, her parents had problems with her love life and independence. i The interesting case of Natalia Grace, Antown said she discovered in 2023 that Grace had been exchanging messages on Facebook with a man named Neal, which allegedly included sexually explicit videos and photos. As a result, Antown takes away Natalia’s phone.
In 2023, Grace turns to her boyfriend Neil for help and decides to leave Manis. She ran away three days before Christmas that year, and her friend Nicole DePaul, who tried to adopt her in 2009, moved her into her home in New York. His departure from Menes will also be shown. The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter, with the first episode of the season airing on Max on January 6.
“Once I came in [Nicole’s] Car, I had to text my mom to tell her I wasn’t kidnapped or dead,” she explained. “It was an emotional time. I had to spread my wings.”