Kristine Barnett, Natalia Grace.Photo:Shutterstock, Discovery
Shutterstock, Discovery
Upon the release ofThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaksand aDNA testthat seemingly confirmed the protagonist’s age after years of speculation,Natalia Grace’s wild story is making headlines once again.
At the time, the couple believed they were adopting a 6-year-old girl — but the Barnetts soon became suspicious of her age and alleged that she was an adult posing as a child. The Barnetts, who have since divorced, also claimed that Natalia tried to harm them and their biological children. She was accused of attempting to poison Kristine and dragging her towards an electric fence, PEOPLE previously reported.
In 2012, the couple had Natalia’s age legally changed from 8 to 22. The following year, the couple moved with their three sons to Canada without Natalia, leaving her alone in an apartment in Lafayette, PEOPLE previously reported. In 2019, Michael and Kristine were charged with multiple counts of neglecting a dependent after a five-year investigation, but neither was convicted.
Michael was found not guilty of three counts of neglect and conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent in 2022, theAssociated Pressreported. In March of 2023, charges against Kristine in connection with the abandonment of Natalia were dropped,WTHRreported at the time.
Natalia Grace.Investigation Discovery/YouTube
Investigation Discovery/YouTube
“This one little piece of paper throws every single lie that the Barnetts has said right into the trash with a match,” Natalia claims in the episode, which began airing on ID on Jan. 1.
Kristine has largely stayed out of the public eye since Natalia’s story captured the attention of millions.
In February 2014, Michael filed for divorce from Kristine, theJournal & Courierreports, and according to the outlet, in 2019, Kristine’s address was listed in Bradenton, Fla.
In 2014, Kristine’s memoir,The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism,was published.
In an alternate cover,Kristine is pictured with her son Jacob. “Kristine Barnett’s son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein’s, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks,” the book’s description reads in part.
Accusations Against Kristine
Kristine Speaks Out and Denies Abuse
Kristine does not appear in the series. However, in apublic Facebook poston Jan. 4, Kristine addresses the accusations from both Natalia and Michael and adamantly denies any form of abuse.
She then calls the allegations of being beaten “just plain false.”
“If there had been any abuse of Natalia or evidence of it, I would have been found guilty of it and I would be in jail,” she wrote while also claiming that Natalia was never abandoned.
“I believe Natalia takes advantage of that sympathy to manipulate people,” Kristine adds later in her post. “I believe this because I sat through numerous hospital visits and therapy visits trying to understand and help Natalia and thinking we might be able to find the root of the issue. In the end I learned she is a sociopath.”
“Michael Barnett and Natalia Barnett may have the same monster but that monster is not me,” Kristine writes. “That monster whether it’s mental illness sociopathy or whatever it actually is may be different for each of them. But it’s within their own psyche.”
Where Is Natalia Grace Now?
After the Barnetts moved without Natalia, Antwon and Cynthia Mans took her in in 2013 where she has resided ever since, but the closing minute of last night’s episode ofNatalia Speaksseemingly revealed that the couple were also growing to mistrust Natalia.
“Something ain’t right with Natalia. This girl is tweakin," Antwon claimed to show producers in a voiceover. “I feel like she’s the enemy in the house. And she said to us, we have held her hostage. Made us look like we’re the enemy.”
“Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself,” he adds later. “We’re done. We’re done with her.”
The Mans family often shared photos with Natalia on their Instagram page. Themost recentwas on Nov. 23. “Happy Thanksgiving from the Mans family,” the caption reads.
All 6 episodes ofThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speakscan be streamed on Max.
source: people.com
