An adopted child accused of being an adult speaks out in a rare interview, denying claims and defending her innocence.
Natalia Grace, a young woman from Ukraine, has been at the center of a controversial case involving her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett.
The Barnetts accused Natalia of being an adult pretending to be a child, claiming that she had tried to harm them.
This shocking situation has drawn attention and raised many questions.
The court case raised many troubling questions.
When Natalia was just eight years old, her adoptive parents took her to court.
They argued that she was not a child but a “fully grown woman” due to a rare form of dwarfism.
The Barnetts claimed that Natalia had been physically abusive towards them.
During the court proceedings, her legal age was changed from eight to 22, which led to even more confusion about her true age.
“This is an adult masquerading as a child,” he claimed.
“We took her to the stress center to have her evaluated that she is having thoughts of harming others, and she is stating out loud that she is attempting to kill Kristine.”
Health experts conducted tests to determine Natalia’s age.
In the years that followed, many health experts got involved.
They conducted various tests to determine Natalia’s real age.
A true crime documentary, titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks“, explored this complex situation.
In 2023, doctors concluded that Natalia was in her early twenties, confirming that she had been a child when the Barnetts adopted her.
Adopted child claims innocence in rare interview after being accused of posing as ‘fully grown woman’
Now 21 years old, Natalia is speaking out against the accusations made by her adoptive parents.
She feels the need to defend herself and reject the claims of abuse and harmful behavior.
In a recent interview, she expressed her feelings of being misunderstood and labeled unfairly.
Natalia shared her thoughts, asking, “Do I look like someone who could push someone twice my size into a fence?
“Do I look like I could even grip a knife?”
Her words reflect the pain she feels from the accusations.
She believes that her parents manipulated her, even suggesting that her mother coached her to lie about her age and actions.
“I feel like I was brainwashed by the Barnetts. Kristine coached me to lie about my age and say I tried to murder my parents.
“Why would you do that to your child?”
The Barnetts abandoned Natalia, leading to legal troubles.
In her interview, Natalia also discussed the trauma she has experienced.
She alleged that Kristine had physically abused her, stating that her adoptive mother hit her with a belt and even pepper-sprayed her.
She recounted feeling mentally abused and neglected during her time with the Barnetts.
The situation escalated when, in 2011, the Barnetts moved Natalia into an apartment by herself.
She struggled to climb the stairs due to her condition, and soon after, they left her and moved to Canada, cutting off all contact.
This abandonment led to legal action against the Barnetts, who were charged with neglect.
However, in 2022, a jury found Michael not guilty, and charges against Kristine were dropped the following year.
Kristine denied all allegations made by Natalia.
In a post on Facebook, Kristine denied the allegations made by Natalia, stating that no one in her family ever harmed her.
She denied Natalia’s claims and highlighted her efforts to support her daughter with hospital and therapy visits.
“[Natalia] was not abused by anyone in my family. Nobody ever took a belt to Natalia, and the allegations that she was ‘beaten’ are just plain false.
“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.”
Natalia faced harsh judgments and public scrutiny daily.
She described how people have labeled her, saying things like, “You’re fake. You’re a liar.” This negative attention affects her deeply.
She wants to be seen for who she really is, not just the victim in a sensationalized story.
“I’m also known for the little girl that was helpless and was beaten and starved and all that. That’s not who I am.
“But that seems to be the only thing that people know—and that’s why it hurts me a lot.”