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What Did Natalia Grace Barnett Do to Cynthia and Antwon Mans? Adoptive Family Update
Fans thought Natalia Grace finally found the family she was looking for after being adopted by Antwon and Cynthia Mans. However, it’s clear her story doesn’t stop there as her former adoptive parents seemingly cut ties with her after filming The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks and fans are curious about what happened.
What Did Natalia Grace Barnett Do to the Man’s Family?
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks aired across three nights, with the January 3, 2024 finale documenting Natalia’s adoption court hearing to officially become a Mans.
However, before the episode ended, an alleged call two weeks after filming wrapped between producers and Antwon and Cynthia aired, where the couple said they were “done with” Natalia after she betrayed them.
“Something ain’t right with Natalia. This girl is tweakin’,” Antwon told producers. “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.”
Meanwhile, his wife said Natalia was “stabbing her family in the back” over a complete lie.
“Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself. We’re done. We’re done with her,” Antwon continued from the other side of the line, adding she’s “done other things too, but this was a new low.”
While it wasn’t revealed what Natalia did to the Mans, true crime fans will seemingly find out as the docuseries ended with a note on the screen saying, “Natalia’s story will continue.”
How Did Natalia React to the Mans’ Allegations?
Two days after the conclusion of The Confessions of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks aired, Natalia broke her silence on the docuseries via a lengthy post on Instagram.
“I am okay and doing well and thank you all for your support and prayers,” she wrote alongside a selfie on January 5, 2024. “I wish I could tell you more Abt 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.”
Amid her estrangement from the Mans’ family, Natalia appeared to have started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the “fresh start” she planned to “get past everything that happened in her life.”
“I moved out and I’m saving money to get my own house so I can have a personal place of my own,” Natalia seemingly wrote in the description of the fundraiser, which surfaced on the internet on January 8, 2024. Apart from her living expenses, she needed the extra funds for various medical procedures.
“I’ll likely have to have major spine surgery and even more surgery on my legs,” she explained, noting that her location was Clifton Park, New York, rather than Indiana, where she was living with the Barnett family. “The costs associated with these surgeries are in excess of $500,000 because the specialist does not accept my medical insurance. The first treatment I need is to have my spine corrected as if I leave it too long it could lead to paralysis and incontinence.”
Cynthia Mans Says Her Family and Natalia Grace Are ‘Fine’
On January 9, 2024, Cynthia offered an update on the situation, revealing to The U.S. Sun that her family and Natalia have already started working through their issues.
“We are absolutely perfect. No, she doesn’t live with us but we are fine,” Cynthia told the publication.
Natalia’s mom added that the Ukraine native is “living with friends” right now, but Natalia continues to stay in touch with Antwon and Cynthia. She couldn’t offer details on what happened between them just yet, but Cynthia said they would get through it.
“It’s rough but with God, we gonna make it. I am in prayer,” she concluded.
Shortly thereafter, Cynthia gave followers another update about where they stood with Natalia via TikTok Live. Before pivoting to other topics, Cynthia said that Natalia was “still part of the family.”
When Did Cynthia and Antwon Mans Adopt Natalia?
Natalia’s story began in 2010 with her former adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, and at the time, they believed her to be 6 years old. Shortly into the adoption, the Indiana couple began to suspect their daughter was much older after Kristine allegedly found pubic hair while bathing her.
They suspected that Natalia, who has a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDc), was an adult con artist posing as a child to ruin their lives. Michael and Kristine went on to accuse Natalia of threatening and attempting to kill them multiple times.
After two years together, Michael and Kristine petitioned to have her birth year legally changed from 2003 to 1989, which aged her by 14 years. They rented her an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and relocated to Canada with their three biological sons, leaving Natalia behind.
Natalia met Antwon and Cynthia while she was living on her own in Indiana. The couple felt sympathy for the child living on her own with a disability, as the apartment had several flights of stairs and cabinets that she couldn’t reach.
Michael and Kristine later faced charges of neglect of a dependent in 2019 as Natalia’s physical limitations due to her disability caused her to be dependent on their care, according to prosecutors. Michael’s charges were completely dropped by October 2022 and Kristine’s charges were dropped before her trial in March 2023.
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