Ukrainian orphan Natalia Grace reveals she has a new family in Upstate NY
Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan accused of trying to kill her adoptive parents a decade ago, has revealed that she is living with a new family.
In a new documentary, titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter,” Grace is opening up about her efforts to flee from her adoptive family that she accuses of abusing her.
Grace was first adopted 15 years ago by Michael and Kristine Barnett, who claimed she was a homicidal adult in her 20s posing as a 6-year-old.
The Barnetts also accused Grace of emotionally and physically abusing them, as well as looming over the couple while they were sleeping with a knife in her hand — a claim she has denied.
And even though Grace proved that she wasn’t lying about her age, the Barnetts still went ahead and changed her legal birthdate changed to 1989.
After Grace was abandoned by the couple, she was later adopted by Cynthia and Antwon Mans. However, she claims that she suffered a torment of abuse at the hands of her new adoptive parents in Dec. 2023.
The alleged abuse prompted her to flee their home in the middle of the night with the help of her boyfriend Neil.
From there, Grace settled with Nicole DePaul, 49, and her husband Vince, 51, in upstate New York.
The DePauls, who also have dwarfism, had previously tried to adopt Grace back in 2009 but were turned down.
“At first it was bumpy because the Mans were still involved,” Nicole told People. “They were calling Natalia constantly and trying to wheel her back in.”
“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 added.
“She’s also never done one violent thing ever,” Nicole went on. “Our dogs love her and they sleep with her. I’m an animal lover. If I didn’t trust her, I wouldn’t leave my babies with her. They’re also a judge of character, as well.”
“We’re trying to guide Natalia, not control her,” Vince told the outlet. “She’s super sweet. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Did she probably do weird things in the past? Yeah,” Nicole chimed in. “[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.”
Grace adds that she has always loved the DePauls, however the pair claim they were never allowed to be in contact with her.
After settling down with the couple, Grace says she’s kickstarted therapy to help her overcome past trauma.
What’s more, she’s now studying for her GED to become a teacher one day.
“Learning everything that I have about how to live with my dwarfism—it’s been a great experience,” she said. “I love it. I mean, of course, I still miss my siblings and everything. But I love it. I feel free.”
