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Natalia Grace Is ‘Taking a Break’ From ‘Everything’ as Fans Wonder What Happened With Mans Family
Natalia Grace Mans (née Barnett) announced that she will be stepping away from social media for a “break.” She shared the news with fans via Instagram and TikTok on Sunday, January 14.
“I’m taking a break from everything,” she wrote on TikTok, along with a mirror selfie. “I love y’all!” Her Instagram post had a similar message that read, “Taking a break! I love y’all!”
The Ukrainian orphan, who’s estimated to be 22, made her decision following the release of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, which aired at the beginning of January. The docuseries concluded with Natalia getting legally adopted by Antwon Mans and Cynthia Mans, only for the couple to declare that they were “done” with her just six months later.
“Something ain’t right with Natalia,” Antwon told producers on a phone call. “This girl is tweakin’. I feel like she’s the enemy in the house. And she said to us [that] we have held her hostage. Made us look like the enemy.”
The Investigation Discovery special ended with a promise that “Natalia’s story will continue.” The cliffhanger left fans wondering what went down between the Ukraine native and her adoptive family.
Fans flooded the comments of Natalia’s latest social media posts with supportive messages. “You’re entitled to take that break,” one fan assured her. “Trust me, we will understand. Just promise not to ghost us. Take care of yourself first.” Another person wrote, “Breaks are good for the soul! Be safe sweetheart!”
Natalia has yet to comment on the situation with Antwon and Cynthia. However, she hinted that she would be telling her side of the story in the future.
“I am okay and doing well and thank you for all your support and prayers,” she shared on January 5. “I wish I could tell you more [about] the show but I signed an agreement with the show to keep things confidential for now. I will let you guys know when I can for sure, but just know I am okay.”
Meanwhile, Cynthia said that things were “fine” between Natalia, who has a rare form of dwarfism, and her family when she gave an update about the situation on January 9. She confirmed that Natalia was no longer living with the Mans’, but said that they were working through their issues.
Natalia’s drama with the Mans family comes following years of a strained relationship with her first adoptive parents, Michael Barnett and Kristine Barnett. The pair, who are now divorced, adopted Natalia in 2010 when she was 6 years old. However, they began suspecting that she was actually an adult and accused her of threatening to kill them and their sons. In 2012, they had her birth year legally changed from 2003 to 1989.
Michael and Kristine were charged with neglect of a dependent in 2019 after it was revealed that they had left Natalia on her own in an apartment that was not conducive to her disability. In 2022, Michael was found not guilty. The following year, the charges against Kristine were dropped. In 2023, Natalia took a DNA test that estimated her age to be 22 years old, which would have made her 9 when the Barnetts had her living alone in an apartment.
In Natalia Speaks, Natalia alleged that Kristine was abusive towards her and accused Michael of perpetuating the behavior by allowing it to continue for years. Kristine has denied the claims.
“Natalia was a very much loved and cared for member of my family,” she insisted. “She was not abused by anyone in my family. Let’s get straight to these allegations. Nobody ever took a belt to Natalia and the allegations that she was ‘beaten’ are just plain false. Any discipline of Natalia was very minimal and was not out of the bounds of normal parenting.”
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