The Natalia Barnett Adoption Story Continues…Life After Good American Family
When the Natalia Barnett adoption story hit the papers, everyone was invested in the drama. Natalia’s unique and challenging adoption journey has unfolded over the years through interviews, news articles, documentaries, and the Hulu miniseries dramatization Good American Family. After struggling with the allegations from the Barnetts and claims of abuse from the Mans family, today, Natalia’s struggles to find a place where she belongs continues.
The True Story Behind the Good American Family
Natalia has a complicated adoption story.
Natalia was born in Ukraine in 2003 before coming to the US as a child. She was born with a rare form of dwarfism which affects bone growth and causes skeletal abnormalities, as well as other health issues. As a result, her height, vision, and
She had been originally adopted by Dyan and Gary Ciccone in 2008 but relinquished parental rights due to her behavior. She was then adopted by the Barnett family in 2010, who were eager to provide Natalia with the support and care she needed.
After two years, however, the Barnetts started noting behavioral problems and claimed she was dangerous, calling her a “sociopath” and a “con artist,” claiming she tried to kill their family with attempts of poisoning them with Pine Sol and pushing Kristine into an electric fence.
They also shockingly alleged she was not in fact an 8 year old child, but a 22 year old woman pretending to be a child. This sensational claim was later criticized for its incredibly close similarity to the 2009 horror film The Orphan, where an adult woman from Russia pretends to be a girl and terrorizes her adoptive family.
“Re-Aging” Natalia and Finding a Family
The Barnetts cited Natalia’s adult teeth and signs of puberty as evidence she was an adult, and had the Indiana courts change her birth year to 1989, making her legally an adult. She was left in an apartment by herself while Kristine and Michael Barnett left with their three biological sons and moved to Canada.
Shortly after, she encountered Cynthia Mans and her husband Antwon who took her in to live with them and their 10 children. They helped Natalia take legal action against the Barnetts for child neglect and were able to correct her birth date once again after a DNA test concluded she was born in 2003. They finalized her adoption in 2023 at age 20.
The docudrama on Hulu ends with Natalia finding her forever home with the Mans family—that is, until an ending title card reveals Natalia left the Mans family after allegations of abuse and assault came to light in 2023.
Life After Good American Family
Despite her early puberty, DNA evidence confirmed Natalia Grace was born in 2003, meaning she was a child, not an adult pretending to be one. Despite this, the years of rumors and accusations have been difficult for her to overcome. The Barnetts’ child neglect charges have since been dismissed, as well.
While the legal battles ended, the emotional toll on Natalia was huge. Her name had been tied to courtrooms, police reports, and media speculation for years. People still question what happened in the Barnett’s home, and whether or not Natalia really did try to harm her family.
When Natalia lived with Cynthia and Antwon Mans, conflicts over autonomy grew, including restrictions on her internet use and contact with her then-boyfriend. Feeling controlled, Natalia escaped late one night and began living with Nicole and Vincent DePaul in upstate New York, a couple who had tried to adopt her years before.
Eventually, Natalia hints that this was a mistake and that, “I thought I was in love, and it wasn’t right. I wasn’t thinking clearly,” suggesting she has since had a change of heart and the allegations against the Mans were only speculation.
Since then, Natalia has been focusing on living more independently. She has shared in interviews that she wants to move forward, away from the drama, and be seen for who she truly is. She says, “I want people to remember me as someone who overcame what they went through…and grew.”
Natalia Today
Even though the Natalia Barnett adoption story captured international media, her current life is much quieter and she says she avoids the spotlight when she can.
Today, Natalia is working hard to build a more normal life.
She currently lives with the DePauls who treat her with care and respect, and she says she now “feels free.” She has said in recent interviews with People Magazine that she wants people to understand she is a real person who has faced extraordinary challenges and is not just a character in a TV drama.
Reports and interviews have shown that Natalia is focusing on finishing her education and becoming a teacher. She has expressed her hopes for greater independence, wanting to build a future that is not defined by the mistakes or accusations of the past.
What We Can Learn From Natalia
The story of Natalia Grace is far more than what was portrayed in Good American Family. From her adoption in 2010, to being abandoned by the Barnetts, taken in by the Mans family, and now trying to stand on her own two feet with the DePauls, her journey shows both the failings of the foster and adoption systems and the way the media can bolster stories and further blur the truth.
As Natalia Grace continues to move forward, her focus is on independence and finding stability. No matter what the truth was behind the Natalia Barnett adoption story, we hope she can push past the media spotlight and create a better life for herself.
