The Truth Revealed: 7 Shocking Facts That Finally Answer 'Was Natalia Grace A Child?' (2025 Update)

The question of "Was Natalia Grace a child?" has been one of the most sensational and disturbing adoption mysteries in modern history, captivating the world since the story first broke. As of late 2024 and early 2025, a combination of new scientific evidence, court outcomes, and Natalia's own public statements has finally brought clarity to the decade-long debate, revealing a complex narrative that far exceeds the initial claims of a "sociopathic adult posing as a child." This article delves into the most recent updates and definitive facts that settle the question of her true age and provide insight into her life today.

Natalia Grace: Full Biography and Profile Timeline

The life of Natalia Grace, born Natalya Vadymivna Gava, is marked by displacement, a rare medical condition, and a traumatic legal battle over her identity. Her story is one of a Ukrainian orphan who became the center of a global media firestorm.

• Birth Name: Natalya Vadymivna Gava (later Natalia Lourdes Barnett, now Natalyah Grace Renee Mans).
• Original Birth Record Date: September 4, 2003 (This date would have made her approximately 6 years old at the time of the Barnett adoption in 2010).
• Medical Condition: Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (SEDc), a rare form of dwarfism that causes bone growth abnormalities.
• Adoption by Barnetts (2010): Adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in Indiana. They believed she was a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan.
• The Age Change (2012): The Barnetts successfully petitioned the Marion County Probate Court to legally change Natalia's age to 22, based on their claims she was an adult sociopath. This court order legally reclassified her as an adult.
• Abandonment Claims (2013): The Barnetts moved to Canada, leaving Natalia behind in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana.
• Neglect Charges (2019): Michael and Kristine Barnett were charged with multiple counts of neglecting a dependent.
• Legal Outcomes (2022-2023): Michael Barnett was acquitted of neglect charges in 2022. Charges against Kristine Barnett were later dismissed in 2023.
• DNA Age Test (August 2023): A test conducted by TruDiagnostic estimated her age to be approximately 22 years old at the time, suggesting she was about 9 years old in 2010, confirming she was a child when adopted.
• Current Status (2025): She is living with the Mans family (Cynthia and Antwon Mans), preparing for independent living, studying for her GED, and learning to drive.

The Definitive Answer: The DNA Test That Settled the Debate

For years, the central argument of the case—the Barnetts' claim that Natalia was an adult posing as a child—was supported only by circumstantial evidence and the 2012 court order changing her legal age. This claim was vehemently denied by Natalia and later by the Mans family, who took her in.

The Scientific Evidence from TruDiagnostic

The debate shifted dramatically with the release of the documentary series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, which included a new, independent DNA analysis. In August 2023, a medical lab called TruDiagnostic performed a sophisticated DNA test to estimate Natalia's biological age.

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• The Result: The test estimated Natalia's age to be approximately 22 years old at the time of the test.
• The Implication: If she was 22 in late 2023, she would have been around 9 or 10 years old when the Barnetts adopted her in 2010.
• Conclusion: This scientific finding strongly supports Natalia's original birth records and her claim that she was, in fact, a child when adopted and when the Barnetts abandoned her, directly contradicting the 2012 court-ordered age change.

This DNA test is considered the most reliable and definitive piece of evidence to date, providing a scientific basis to confirm that Natalia Grace was a child, not a woman, during the most controversial period of her life with the Barnett family.

The Complex Legal Aftermath and Natalia's Life in 2025

Despite the scientific confirmation of her childhood, the legal saga involving the Barnett family and the neglect charges concluded with no convictions. The case highlights a significant legal loophole where a court-ordered age change, even if later proven biologically false, complicated the subsequent criminal charges.

The Barnett Neglect Charges and Acquittals

Michael and Kristine Barnett faced charges of neglect of a dependent after investigators alleged they abandoned Natalia. The defense successfully argued that the Barnetts could not be charged with neglecting a child because the 2012 court order legally declared Natalia to be an adult.

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• Michael Barnett's Trial: Michael was acquitted of all charges in 2022.
• Kristine Barnett's Charges: Charges against Kristine were dismissed in 2023.

The outcome means that while scientific evidence suggests a child was neglected, the existing legal framework at the time of the alleged crime protected the adoptive parents from conviction. This legal twist has fueled public debate about the justice served in the case.

Natalia's New Life and Path to Independence

Following her separation from the Barnetts, Natalia was taken in by Antwon and Cynthia Mans, who have provided her with a stable and supportive environment. She has legally changed her name to Natalyah Grace Renee Mans, signifying her new chapter.

In January 2025, news reports confirmed that Natalia, now approximately 22 years old according to the DNA test, is actively pursuing a normal adult life. She is focusing on educational and personal milestones that she was denied during the height of the controversy, including:

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• Studying for her General Educational Development (GED) test.
• Learning to drive to gain greater independence.

Her current situation, living with the Mans family and preparing for a future as an independent adult, marks a hopeful conclusion to a story that began with claims of a sinister deception. The overwhelming and most recent evidence confirms that Natalia Grace was a child—a young girl with a rare bone disorder—who was subjected to a traumatic and highly publicized identity crisis.