5 Shocking Updates On Where Is Natalia Grace Now In 2025: Her New Life, Real Age, And Final Chapter
The tumultuous and often terrifying story of Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian orphan with a rare form of dwarfism who was at the center of a global media firestorm, has taken yet another dramatic turn in early 2025. After years of legal battles, shocking documentary revelations, and a highly publicized age dispute with her former adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, Natalia is finally stepping out to reclaim her narrative with a fresh start and definitive proof of her identity. The world is eager to know the truth, especially with a new documentary installment airing this January.
The saga, which involves abandonment, allegations of sociopathy, and a controversial court order changing her age from a child to an adult, continues to captivate. Today, in 2025, Natalia Grace is focused on building an independent life, finding stability, and moving forward from the trauma of her past. Her journey has led her to a new, supportive family and a path toward self-sufficiency.
Natalia Grace: A Biographical Timeline and Profile
Natalia Grace's life is marked by a series of dramatic adoptions, legal disputes, and a constant battle to prove her true age and identity. This profile summarizes the key entities and events in her complex history:
- Birth Name: Natalya "Natasha" Vadymivna Gava (Ukrainian)
- Date of Birth: September 4, 2003 (Approximate, based on a 2023 DNA test suggesting she is approximately 22 years old in 2025)
- Medical Condition: Diastrophic Dysplasia (a rare form of dwarfism), not the more common Achondroplasia.
- 2008: Adopted from Ukraine by an initial New Hampshire couple.
- 2010: Re-listed for adoption; adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in Indiana at what was believed to be age 6.
- 2012: The Barnetts petition the Marion County Probate Court to legally change her age from 8 to 22, alleging she was an adult "sociopath" posing as a child.
- 2013: The Barnetts move to Canada and abandon Natalia in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana.
- 2014-2023: Natalia lives with the Mans family (Cynthia and Antwon Mans), who unofficially take her in. She is officially adopted by them in 2023.
- 2019: Indiana prosecutors charge Kristine and Michael Barnett with neglect of a dependent. Michael is found not guilty in 2022; charges against Kristine are dropped in 2023.
- August 2023: Medical lab TruDiagnostic conducts a DNA test, determining her true age to be approximately 20 (making her about 22 in 2025), confirming she was a child when abandoned.
- Late 2023: Natalia leaves the Mans family, finding their rules too strict, and moves in with Nicole and Vince DePaul in upstate New York.
- January 2025: Natalia appears on the cover of People Magazine and is featured in the final installment of her documentary series.
The Shocking DNA Test That Confirmed Her Age
For years, the central conflict in Natalia's story revolved around her true age. The Barnetts’ controversial 2012 court petition successfully changed her legal age to 22, which allowed them to avoid neglect charges when they abandoned her in 2013, claiming she was an adult. This legal maneuver was the foundation of the entire case.
However, modern science finally provided a definitive answer. In August 2023, a specialized blood test conducted by the medical lab TruDiagnostic was featured in the docuseries. The results indicated that Natalia was approximately 20 years old at the time of the test, placing her birth year around 2003. This means that when the Barnetts petitioned to have her age changed to 22 in 2012, she was likely only nine years old—a minor by a significant margin. This finding shattered the Barnetts' claim and validated Natalia's long-held insistence that she was a child.
Legal Analyst Beth Karas, who followed the case closely, noted the complexity of the legal system in dealing with the age dispute. The TruDiagnostic test, while not overturning the original court order, provided the public and Natalia herself with a powerful, scientific truth that fundamentally shifted the perception of the entire case.
Where Natalia Grace Is Now in 2025: A New Found Family and Independence
The most current and positive updates on Natalia Grace place her firmly on a path to a stable, independent future. After a brief and complicated adoption by the Mans family, Natalia sought refuge and stability elsewhere. She reached out to an old friend, Nicole DePaul, with the help of her boyfriend, Neil.
The DePaul family—Nicole (49) and Vince (51)—are a couple who also have a form of dwarfism and had actually attempted to adopt Natalia years earlier. They welcomed her into their home in upstate New York. Living with the DePauls, who have a daughter named Mackenzie, has provided Natalia with a supportive environment where she feels understood and safe. She has stated that this new living situation has been a "big learning curve" but a positive one, allowing her to finally feel like she is becoming a "new person."
As of early 2025, Natalia is focused on practical steps toward independence:
- Education: She is actively studying to obtain her GED.
- Driving: She is learning to drive, a major step toward personal freedom.
- Future Goals: Natalia has expressed a strong desire to become a mother in the future, signaling a hope for a normal, loving family life that she was denied as a child.
Her appearance on the cover of People Magazine in January 2025 was a symbolic move to "take control of her own narrative" after years of being defined by the allegations and sensationalism surrounding the Barnett family's claims.
The Final Chapter: Documentary Premiere and Reclaiming Her Story
The public’s enduring curiosity about Natalia's life is being addressed with a new and final installment of the investigative documentary series. *The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter* is set to premiere in January 2025 on ID. This new series promises to cover the most recent events, including the TruDiagnostic age test results, her departure from the Mans family, and her current life with the DePauls.
The documentary is expected to provide closure on the most shocking elements of the case, including the direct confrontation between Natalia and her former adoptive father, Michael Barnett, which was heavily teased in promotional materials. The focus is now shifting from the Barnetts' allegations of neglect and fraud to Natalia's resilience and her fight to rebuild her life.
Natalia’s willingness to share her story publicly, both in the documentary and in magazine interviews, marks a significant shift. She is no longer just the subject of a bizarre true-crime story but an active participant in defining her identity. The journey from a Ukrainian orphan with Diastrophic Dysplasia to a young woman preparing for full independence in upstate New York is a testament to her determination to overcome years of trauma and legal turmoil. The "final chapter" is less about the mystery and more about the triumph of a young woman finally finding her footing.
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