Natalia Barnett Now: 5 Shocking New Updates On Her Age, New Life, And Reclaiming Her Narrative In 2025

The tumultuous and bizarre case of Natalia Barnett (formerly Natalia Grace) has captivated the world for years, but as of late 2025, the story has taken its most definitive and crucial turns yet. The Ukrainian-born woman with a form of dwarfism, whose age was legally changed from 8 to 22 by her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, is finally sharing her side of the narrative, armed with new evidence and a stable home life.

The controversy—which saw her accused of being an adult "sociopath" posing as a child—has been heavily featured in multiple docuseries. However, the most recent information, including a critical DNA test and her public appearances in early 2025, paints a clearer picture of an exploited child fighting for her identity and future. This is the latest on Natalia Barnett's life, her confirmed age, and her journey to stability.

Complete Biography and Profile of Natalia Grace Barnett

Natalia Barnett’s life is defined by a complex and highly disputed timeline, centering on her adoption and the subsequent legal battle over her age. The following is a breakdown of the key facts and conflicting claims.

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• Full Birth Name: Natalya "Natasha" Vadymivna Gava
• Adoptive Name: Natalia Grace Barnett (later Natalyah Grace Renee Mans)
• Original Birth Date (Disputed): September 4, 2003
• Country of Origin: Ukraine
• Condition: Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (a rare bone growth disorder resulting in dwarfism)
• First Adoption: Adopted by a New Hampshire family in 2008
• Barnett Adoption: Adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett of Westfield, Indiana, in 2010
• Legal Age Change: In 2012, an Indiana court successfully petitioned by the Barnetts legally changed her birth year from 2003 to 1989, making her a legal adult
• Current Status (2025): Living in upstate New York with Nicole and Vince DePaul
• Confirmed Age (2025): A DNA test placed her age at approximately 22 years old, meaning she was around 9 years old when the Barnetts claimed she was 22

The Definitive DNA Test: Unmasking the Truth About Her Age

The core of the "Curious Case of Natalia Grace" has always been the question of her true age. Kristine and Michael Barnett alleged that Natalia was a 22-year-old adult masquerading as a child, exhibiting sociopathic behavior and attempting to harm the family. This led to the controversial 2012 court order that legally changed her age to 22.

Latest Update: The most significant development to emerge in the ongoing saga is the result of a DNA test conducted by the medical laboratory TruDiagnostic. The test, which was featured prominently in the docuseries *Natalia Grace: Good American Family*, revealed that Natalia is approximately 22 years old as of 2025.

This new, scientific evidence strongly suggests that when the Barnetts had her age legally changed to 22 in 2012, Natalia was, in fact, only about nine years old. This finding directly supports Natalia’s version of the story—that she was a child abandoned by her adoptive parents—and severely undermines the Barnetts' long-standing claims.

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The DNA test results were a pivotal moment, providing what many believe to be the first irrefutable proof of her approximate age, finally bringing a measure of clarity to a decade of confusion and legal turmoil.

Natalia’s New Life: Stability with the DePaul Family in Upstate New York

After being placed in an apartment by the Barnetts in 2013 and later living with the Mans family for a decade, Natalia has finally found a stable and supportive environment. Her current life is a world away from the sensationalized drama that defined her early years in the United States.

Her New Home: Natalia has been living in upstate New York since 2023 with Nicole and Vince DePaul. The DePauls are a couple who also have dwarfism, providing Natalia with a unique level of understanding and connection within her new family.

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The Rescue: The docuseries revealed that Natalia, with the help of her boyfriend, Neil, reached out to Nicole DePaul, an old friend who, along with her husband Vince, had previously attempted to adopt her. The DePauls, aged 49 and 51 respectively, welcomed her into their home. This transition marks a significant moment of healing and a return to a more typical life for a young woman her age.

The move to the DePauls' home represents a shift from being a subject of intense scrutiny to living a life focused on personal growth and stability. She is now surrounded by people who share her condition and understand the challenges she faces.

Reclaiming Her Narrative: Public Appearances in 2025

For years, Natalia's story was told through the lens of her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, who painted a terrifying picture of her as a manipulative adult. However, 2025 has become the year Natalia truly took control of her own narrative.

People Magazine Cover: In January 2025, Natalia appeared on the cover of People Magazine, a major step in her public effort to share her side of the story. She stated her intention was to "reclaim her narrative," moving past the accusations and focusing on her truth.

Docuseries Involvement: She participated extensively in the docuseries *Natalia Grace: Good American Family*, which aired in late 2024 and early 2025. This series served as her platform to directly address the allegations and present the DNA evidence that validated her claims of being a child when she was abandoned.

By engaging with the media on her own terms, Natalia is actively counteracting the sensationalized and often damaging portrayal she received during the height of the legal drama. Her public appearances are a powerful testament to her resilience and her desire for the world to see her as a victim of a complex and tragic adoption failure, rather than a villain.

The Final Legal Outcomes for Kristine and Michael Barnett

While Natalia is moving forward, the legal proceedings against her former adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, have largely concluded.

• Michael Barnett: He was charged with neglect of a dependent but was acquitted by a jury in 2022.
• Kristine Barnett: Charges of neglect against Kristine were dismissed by the court in 2023.

Despite the lack of criminal convictions, the public perception of the case remains divided, fueled by the conflicting accounts presented in the various docuseries. However, the most recent DNA evidence, confirming Natalia's approximate age, has swayed public opinion significantly in her favor, reinforcing the belief that she was an exploited and neglected child.

As of 2025, Natalia Barnett is no longer a legal mystery. She is a young woman, approximately 22 years old, living a stable life with a supportive family, and actively working to define her own future away from the shadow of one of the most controversial adoption cases in modern history.