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22-year-old woman who posed as 'child' says she 'thought she'd found the right family'

Home> Entertainment

Updated 13:20 31 May 2023 GMT+1Published 20:26 8 May 2023 GMT+1

22-year-old woman who posed as 'child' says she 'thought she'd found the right family'

A new documentary follows the couple who adopted a 'six-year-old Ukrainian orphan' that turned out to be a 22-year-old woman

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

The 22-year-old who posed as a 'six-year-old Ukrainian orphan' says she 'thought she'd found the right family' amid claims that she tried to kill them.

Take a look at the eerie trailer for The Curious Case of Natalia Grace below:

Natalia Grace was supposed to a small child with a rare bone growth disorder, who Kristine and Michael Barnett adopted back in 2010.

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However it seems that Natalia was - in fact - a 22-year-old who apparently made several attempts to kill the couple, the family have claimed.

The happy family dynamic between Natalia and the Barnetts changed after they later alleged she was really an adult attempting to harm their family.

After the family deserted Natalia in an apartment in Layfette, Indiana, in 2013, authorities pushed 'neglect charges' onto the couple.

A new documentary is being made about a couple who adopted a 'six-year-old Ukrainian orphan' that turned out to be a 22-year-old woman who apparently tried to kill them.
ID

"We were all abused," Michael cries in the trailer for the upcoming doc.

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"I hate this. She tried to poison and kill my wife.

"[And] one night, I opened my eyes and Natalia is standing at the foot of the bed with a knife in her hand."

Giving her side of the story in a 2019 interview with on the Dr. Phil show, Natalia argued that the Barnetts' allegations were false.

She initially felt loved by the family and thought she had found the right mum and dad.

"I actually thought I had found the right family after bouncing around from a lot of families. I thought I had found the right family for me," she said.

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Kristine began questioning her age when Natalia underwent a surgery related to her dwarfism.

"Everything started happening after that one moment," Natalia said.

The 22-year-old who posed as a 'six-year-old Ukrainian orphan' says she 'thought she'd found the right family' amid claims that she tried to kill them.
CBS

In that same year, mum Kristine told the Daily Mail: "She would make statements and draw pictures saying she wanted to kill family members, roll them up in a blanket and put them in the backyard.

"I saw her putting chemicals, bleach, Windex something like that, in my coffee and I asked her, 'what are you doing?' She said, 'I am trying to poison you'.

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"The media is painting me to be a child abuser but there is no child here."

After the family deserted Natalia in an apartment in Layfette, Indiana, in 2013, authorities pushed 'neglect charges' onto the couple.
ID

The synopsis for The Curious Case of Natalia Grace reads: "Initially assumed to be a six-year-old Ukrainian orphan with a rare bone growth disorder, Natalia was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010.

"However, the happy family dynamic soured when allegations against Natalia were brought by the Barnetts who alleged Natalia was an adult masquerading as a child with intent to harm their family.

"In 2013, Natalia was discovered living on her own which ignited an investigation that led to Michael and Kristine's arrest and a firestorm of questions."

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The Curious Case of Natalia Grace will air for three consecutive nights on Investigation Discovery starting on Monday, May 29, from 9-11pm ET/PT.

Featured Image Credit: CBS/ID Discovery

Topics: TV and Film, Natalia Grace

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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@Anish_Vij

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