‘Natalia Grace’: Where Are Michael & Kristine Barnett Now?
Natalia Grace’s story has served as the focus and inspiration for series like The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and Good American Family. Her story gained attention around the world when her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, claimed their adopted daughter was really an adult. Now, those following Grace’s story wonder what has happened to the Barnetts.
The Barnetts Adopted Natalia Grace In 2010
Grace was born in Ukraine and was diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism. She came to the United States and was adopted by the Barnetts in 2010, after having a previous adoptive placement. At the time, the Barnetts had three children already.
In time, however, they began to claim that Grace was actually an adult posing as a child. They eventually petitioned a court to change Grace’s birth year, legally making her 14 years older.
Shortly before the release of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, as noted by Daily Mail, Michael could be seen in a trailer making claims that Grace abused her adoptive family. At one point, for example, he claimed Grace “tried to poison and kill my wife.”
As noted by Distractify, after the court changed Grace’s birth year to 1989, the adoptive family moved to Canada. Grace was then left to live by herself in an apartment.
Michael Appeared On The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, Kristine Refused To Participate
Following this, Grace was then taken in by the Mans family. However, things eventually took a turn with her new adoptive family growing to distrust her.
In time, Grace was taken in by the DePaul family. Notably, the DePauls had wanted to adopt Grace back in 2009.
Those following Grace’s story have often wondered what happened to the Barnetts. As noted by People, the couple divorced in 2019 and were charged with neglecting a dependent. At the time, as the publication noted, the couple couldn’t be charged with child neglect due to Grace’s legal age change.
As Journal & Courier reported, Barnett was acquitted by a jury in 2022, a year before the release of the Investigation Discovery series. After the trial, Michael “was served with a subpoena ordering him to testify against Kristine Barnett.”
The charges against Kristine were dropped less than six months later. At the time, according to the publication, it was believed there was insufficient evidence to prove the claims made against her.
As noted by The Exponent, the charges were dropped without prejudice, meaning Kristine couldn’t face the same charges again. The publication also noted Kristine was living in Florida at the time.
The documentary series also revealed more information on Michael. It was revealed he remarried following his divorce to a woman named Jennifer. For her part, Kristine decline participating in the documentary series.
As noted by Distractify, Kristine also wrote a book about another adopted child. The publication claimed she initially intended to do the same for Grace, but these plans fell through.
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