The Shocking Truth: How Old Is Natalia Grace In 2025? The Full Age Controversy Explained

The question of "How old is Natalia Grace?" has fueled one of the most bizarre and highly publicized true-crime sagas of the 21st century. The controversy, which involves a Ukrainian orphan, a rare form of dwarfism, and a shocking legal age change, has captivated viewers of the docuseries *The Curious Case of Natalia Grace* and its follow-up, *Natalia Speaks*. The most recent and definitive information, as of December 12, 2025, confirms that Natalia Grace’s legal date of birth has been restored, finally settling the years-long debate about her true age and identity.

The entire case hinges on the conflicting claims of her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, who alleged she was a sociopathic adult masquerading as a child, and Natalia herself, who maintained she was a young girl abandoned by her family. Based on the legal restoration of her birth year, Natalia Grace is currently 22 years old, a fact that stands in stark contrast to the adult age she was legally assigned in 2012.

Natalia Grace: A Detailed Biographical Timeline

Natalia Grace is a Ukrainian-born American who became the center of a media firestorm after her adoption by an Indiana couple went horribly wrong. Her life timeline is marked by multiple adoptions, a legal battle over her age, and a medical condition that complicated her physical appearance.

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• Full Name: Natalyah Grace Renee Mans (following her most recent adoption).
• Original Date of Birth: October 3, 2003 (Legally restored).
• Current Age (as of December 12, 2025): 22 years old.
• Birthplace: Ukraine.
• Medical Condition: Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (a rare form of dwarfism).
• First Adoption: Adopted by a New Hampshire couple in 2008, but was re-listed for adoption in 2010.
• Barnett Adoption: Adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in 2010 at what they were told was age six.
• Legal Age Change: In June 2012, the Barnetts successfully petitioned an Indiana court to legally change her birth year to 1989, making her 22 years old.
• Mans Family Adoption: Officially adopted by the Mans family (Cynthia and Antwon Mans) in 2023.

The Definitive Answer: Natalia Grace's Current Legal Age in 2025

The most crucial and up-to-date piece of information is the legal status of Natalia Grace’s birth year. Despite the Barnetts' successful petition in 2012 to change her birth year to 1989, that status has since been challenged and effectively overturned.

Her date of birth has been legally restored to her original 2003 birth year. This restoration is the basis for her current, definitive age. Based on the original and now-restored birth date of October 3, 2003, Natalia Grace turned 22 in October 2025.

The DNA Test That Shifted the Narrative

The controversy received a significant, though complex, update with the results of a DNA test. In an episode of the docuseries, a healthcare testing company revealed the results of a DNA test performed in August 2023.

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The test estimated that Natalia was approximately 22 years old at the time the test was conducted in 2023. While the Barnetts initially claimed this supported their belief that she was an adult when they adopted her in 2010, the math does not align with the 1989 birth year they sought.

If she was 22 in August 2023, she would have been a child—approximately 9 or 10 years old—when the Barnetts legally changed her age to 22 in 2012. This DNA evidence, therefore, ultimately supported the claims that she was a minor when she was abandoned, while simultaneously confirming her current adult age.

The Complex Saga of The Barnett Family and The Legal Battle

The entire case exploded into public consciousness when Michael and Kristine Barnett, who adopted Natalia in 2010, began to claim she was not a six-year-old child but a much older adult with malicious intent.

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The Barnetts claimed she exhibited adult characteristics, such as pubic hair and a sophisticated vocabulary, and accused her of attempting to harm the family. This led to the 2012 court order changing her legal birth year to 1989.

Medical and Dental Estimates

Before the legal change, medical professionals offered conflicting estimates of her age, which only deepened the mystery.

• Endocrinologist (2010): Estimated her age to be between nine and eleven years old.
• Dentist (2011): Based on X-rays, estimated her age to be about 8 or 9 years old.

These professional estimates consistently placed Natalia as a child during the period the Barnetts were arguing she was an adult. The Barnetts eventually moved her into an apartment in 2013 and moved to Canada, leading to neglect charges against them.

Michael Barnett was acquitted of neglect in 2022, while charges against Kristine were dropped.

Where is Natalia Grace Now? Her Life After the Controversy

Following the abandonment by the Barnetts, Natalia Grace was taken in by Antwon and Cynthia Mans, a family who appeared to offer her the stability she had long sought. The Mans family officially adopted Natalia in 2023.

However, the latest updates from the docuseries have revealed a new, unexpected twist. In the third season of the docuseries, Natalia confirmed she was no longer living with the Mans family due to an alleged falling out.

Current reports suggest she has since moved on to live with the DePaul family. This demonstrates that even as the legal question of "how old is Natalia Grace" has been definitively answered, the complexities of her personal life continue to evolve and capture public attention.

The ongoing fascination with this case, which involves a Ukrainian orphan, the Mans family, the DePaul family, the Barnett family, and the legal system, highlights the sensational nature of the "adult child" claim and the profound impact of the legal restoration of her birth year, confirming that Natalia Grace is a young woman who was a child when the controversy began.