5 Shocking Updates On Natalia Grace's Life: Is She Still Alive And Where Is She Now?

The mystery surrounding Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian-born orphan with a rare form of dwarfism whose adoption by the Barnett family turned into a sensational international legal and media saga, continues to captivate the public imagination. As of December 2025, the most pressing question—"Is Natalia Grace still alive?"—has a clear answer, but her life's journey has taken dramatic, unexpected turns since the explosive documentaries and trials brought her story to light. The latest updates confirm her survival and reveal a new, stable chapter in her life, alongside definitive information about her true age and the final legal outcomes for her former adoptive parents.

The narrative of Natalia Grace is a complex web of deceit, conflicting medical opinions, and a bizarre court case that questioned her identity—was she a neglected child or an adult sociopath posing as a minor? The newest information, including DNA evidence and her current living situation, finally provides clarity and closure to a story that has spanned over a decade, offering a fresh perspective on her tumultuous past and her hopeful future.

Natalia Grace: Full Biography and Timeline of the Controversy

The life of Natalia Grace is marked by an extraordinary series of events, legal disputes, and conflicting identities. Her story is a timeline of adoption, age re-determination, alleged abandonment, and a highly publicized criminal trial.

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• Full Name: Natalyah Grace Renee Mans (formerly Natalia Vadymivna Gava)
• Date of Birth (Legally Restored): September 4, 2003
• Current Age (as of December 2025): Approximately 22 years old
• Place of Birth: Ukraine
• Condition: Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (a rare bone growth disorder resulting in dwarfism)
• 2010: Adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in the United States.
• 2012: The Barnetts successfully petition a court in Marion County, Indiana, to legally change Natalia's age from 8 to 22. This ruling was based on the Barnetts' claim that she was an adult sociopath.
• 2013: The Barnetts move to Canada, leaving Natalia to live alone in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana.
• 2014: Natalia is taken in by the Mans family (Cynthia and Antwon Mans).
• 2019: Michael and Kristine Barnett are charged with neglect for abandoning a dependent.
• 2022: Michael Barnett is acquitted of all neglect charges.
• 2023: Kristine Barnett's charges are dropped. Natalia appears in the documentary series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks.
• 2023–Present: Natalia begins living with the DePaul family.

The Definitive Answer: Is Natalia Grace Still Alive in 2025?

The short and definitive answer is Yes, Natalia Grace is alive and well. The intense public curiosity surrounding her fate—spurred by the dramatic claims made by the Barnett family about her being a dangerous adult—has led to widespread speculation about her well-being.

As of December 2025, Natalia is no longer under the care of the Mans family (who briefly took her in after the Barnetts left) and has found stability with a new family. Her current life is a world away from the isolation and legal turmoil of the past decade, suggesting a positive and healthy environment.

The extensive media coverage, including the ID series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and the follow-up Good American Family, has been instrumental in providing current updates and dispelling rumors about her demise or disappearance. Her public appearances in these documentaries serve as the clearest evidence of her current status and life.

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The controversy over her age, which was a central element of the Barnetts' defense, has also been addressed with new, scientific evidence.

Where Natalia Grace Lives Now: The DePaul Family and a New Life

Following her tumultuous time with the Barnett family and a subsequent period with the Mans family, Natalia Grace has found a new home and a supportive environment. She currently resides in upstate New York with the DePaul family.

The DePaul Connection

Natalia lives with Nicole and Vincent DePaul, a couple who also have a form of dwarfism, creating an instant connection and understanding. The DePauls were friends of the Barnetts and had previously attempted to adopt Natalia, but their efforts were complicated by the ongoing legal and age controversies.

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This living arrangement is significant because the DePauls share a common experience with Natalia, providing a more empathetic and stable home than she experienced in previous situations. Her time with the DePaul family marks a crucial period of healing and normalization after years of public scrutiny and alleged abuse.

Reports indicate that Natalia is thriving in this new setting, finally having a sense of family and belonging. Her current life is focused on moving forward and building a future, away from the constant re-litigation of her past.

The Age Controversy Settled: DNA Evidence and Her Real Birth Year

One of the most bizarre and crucial elements of the entire saga was the legal age re-determination. The Barnetts successfully convinced a court to legally change Natalia’s age from a child of 8 to an adult of 22 in 2012, which was the foundation for the neglect charges being complicated and eventually dropped.

However, recent scientific evidence has definitively countered the Barnetts' claims and the court's earlier ruling.

The TruDiagnostic Test

In the 2023 documentary series, a DNA test was performed by the medical lab TruDiagnostic. This test, which uses advanced epigenetic clock technology to estimate biological age, revealed that Natalia is approximately 22 years old as of the time of the test (late 2023/early 2024). This finding is a powerful vindication of Natalia's story.

If she was 22 in late 2023/early 2024, it means she was only about 9 or 10 years old when the Barnetts petitioned the court to have her age changed to 22, and only 10 or 11 when they allegedly abandoned her in 2013. This scientific confirmation aligns with her legally restored birth year of 2003, finally providing a clear, evidence-based timeline of her childhood.

The Final Legal Outcome for Michael and Kristine Barnett

The Barnetts faced criminal charges of neglect of a dependent, but the outcome was not what many expected, largely due to the earlier, controversial age ruling.

Acquittal and Dropped Charges

• Michael Barnett's Trial: Michael Barnett went to trial in 2022 and was acquitted of all three counts of neglect and conspiracy to commit neglect.
• Kristine Barnett's Charges: Kristine Barnett's charges were later dropped in 2023.

The primary reason for the favorable outcome for the Barnetts was the 2012 court ruling that legally changed Natalia’s age to 22. The court ruled that since Natalia was legally an adult at the time of the alleged abandonment, she could not be considered a "dependent" child, making the neglect charges difficult to prosecute. Therefore, neither Michael nor Kristine Barnett went to jail for the allegations related to Natalia.

While the legal system provided a non-guilty verdict for Michael and a dropped case for Kristine, the court of public opinion, heavily influenced by the documentaries and the new DNA evidence, continues to scrutinize their actions. The story of Natalia Grace remains a chilling example of the complexities and potential failures within the adoption and family court systems.