Antwon Mans, Natalia Grace Mans, and Cynthia Mans.
Investigation Discovery/MaxThe case of Natalia Grace is the focus of Hulu’s hit drama series, Good American Family, which revisits the shocking story of a Ukrainian orphan at the center of a strange adoption scandal. So far, the show has focused on Natalia’s time with the Barnetts, but she was also later adopted by the Mans family. However, that relationship also ended tumultuously, and Natalia escaped from their home in 2023.
Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Natalia, a Ukrainian orphan with a rare form of dwarfism, in 2010. Natalia’s birth records indicated she was born in 2003, making her around six or seven years old at the time of her adoption. However, the Indiana couple began to suspect that Natalia wasn’t who she claimed to be; they alleged she was actually an adult posing as a child after noticing early signs of puberty and behavior that was threatening to them and their family.
For example, the Barnetts claimed that Natalia posed a danger to them and their biological children. They alleged she tried to poison Kristine’s coffee and once attempted to drag her into an electric fence. According to the family, Natalia also hid knives in her bedroom and scattered clear thumbtacks on the stairs so the family would unknowingly step on them. (Natalia alleged in her Investigation Discovery docuseries that it was actually Kristine who abused her.)
After leaving Natalia to live on her own in an apartment in Indiana, the Barnetts—who are now divorced—were charged with multiple offenses, including neglect of a dependent, neglect resulting in bodily injury, neglect resulting in serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to commit neglect. Following a lengthy investigation, all charges against Michael and Kristine were ultimately dropped or dismissed.
So, where did Natalia Grace go after she left the Barnetts, and what happened with her second adoptive parents that led her to escape and move in with a new family? Here’s everything to know.
How Did Natalia Grace Meet The Mans Family?
Natalia’s birth records initially stated she was born in 2003, but two years after adopting her, the Barnetts petitioned a Marion County court to amend her Ukrainian documents, changing her birth year to 1989 and her age to 22.
In 2013, as the Barnetts prepared to relocate to Canada, they moved Natalia into an apartment alone. She later testified during Michael Barnett’s trial that she survived mostly on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Ramen noodles, and occasionally pizza she ordered herself.
Just over a month after living alone, Natalia stopped to rest a few houses down from her apartment. A woman living there came outside and approached her kindly. That woman then called a friend, Cynthia, who came over and befriended Natalia. Within a few days, Natalia moved in with Cynthia, her husband Antwon, and their children.
During the trial, Cynthia Mans testified that they charged Natalia $250 a month in rent and taught her how to read, write, and do math. Natalia testified that she didn’t know how to count money, didn’t understand the purpose of her food-stamp card, and was unaware she had Social Security disability benefits. She also said she didn’t know how to cook or do her own laundry.
Mans family from Instagram
@themansfamily11/InstagramWhat Happened Between Natalia Grace And The Mans Family?
The Mans family formally adopted Natalia in 2023, and the second season of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks portrays their relationship in a positive light. Antwon accompanied Natalia when she received her DNA test results, which appeared to confirm that she was 22 years old—meaning she would have been around nine when living with the Barnetts. He was also there during a confrontation between Natalia and her former adoptive father, Michael.
However, the docuseries does highlight one violent incident: in episode five, Genesis Mans, a child who also lived with the Mans family, recalled in an interview that Natalia bit her when she was a baby. The family acknowledged that there were a few issues when Natalia first moved in, but said she later apologized for her early behavior.
“I would say she has been violent in a typical way like most kids do. You know, most kids fight, most kids argue, but nothing unusual to where there was just crazy unrest in that sort of way. There’s nothing dangerous about Natalia at all, absolutely not,” Antwon said in Episode 5 of Natalia Speaks.
“Natalia been with us all these years, and let me tell you, we have corrected Natalia, and she’s never came at us with the knife or put thumbtacks up on our stairs, or tried to hurt our children,” Cynthia added, referencing the allegations the Barnetts made against Natalia.
When Did Things Between Natalia Grace And The Mans Go South?
While everything seemed to be going well between Natalia Grace and the Mans family, the final two minutes of Natalia Speaks take a dramatic turn. A black screen appears with text that reads, “Two weeks ago, and six months after Natalia’s adoption, the producers got a shocking phone call.”
Then, Antwon and Cynthia’s voices play over a shot that zooms in on Natalia sitting on a porch. “Something ain’t right with Natalia,” he says. “This girl is tweakin’. 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 is stabbing her family in the back over a complete lie,” Cynthia adds.
“She’s done other things, too,” Antwon continues. “But this was a new low. Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself. We’re done. We’re done with her.”
In the third season of the docuseries, Natalia confirmed she was no longer living with the Mans family. She revealed that the fallout began when the Manses tried to restrict her internet access after discovering she had been communicating with a boyfriend in the U.K.
According to People, after Natalia was legally adopted, she embraced the Mans family’s religious lifestyle and helped care for their 10 children while living with them in Indiana and later in Tennessee. However, neighbors and friends alleged they saw the Mans physically abuse Natalia, claiming she was whipped with a belt, slapped in the face, locked in a room, and assaulted. (Natalia declined to confirm or deny those allegations to People.)
Who Is Natalia Grace Living With Now?
Natalia and her boyfriend reached out to Nicole and Vincent DePaul, a couple with dwarfism who had tried to adopt her in 2009 but were unable to due to financial constraints. As shown in Part 3 of her docuseries, Nicole and her daughter Mackenzie secretly traveled to the Mans family’s church and picked Natalia up outside the building.
Since then, Natalia has been living with the DePauls, though Nicole told People that they have no plans to legally adopt her. She explained that their life together is generally peaceful, although there are moments where they don’t always see eye to eye.
DePaul family and Natalia in kitchen: from left Mackenzie, Natalia, Nicole and Vince.
Investigation Discovery“At first it was bumpy because the Mans were still involved. They were calling Natalia constantly and trying to wheel her back in,” Nicole explained to the publication. “It was just this constant thing where we were walking a fine line of not doing too much. See, she just came from this house that basically was ruled by a dictator, so I didn’t want to tell her what to do.”
She continued, “Did she probably do weird things in the past? Yeah,” Nicole added. “[But] when you take in a child, you take that child as your own. You don’t just get rid of them when they don’t fit into your puzzle.”
Natalia is currently studying for her GED and hopes to become a teacher. She’s also preparing for upcoming surgeries related to her disabilities and is happily in a relationship with her boyfriend, Neil, she told People.
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