Adopted 'child' who turned out to be 22-year-old woman spotted with new family

A woman who has been at the center of an incredibly unusual adoption case, in which her family thought she was six but turned out to be 22-years-old, has been spotted out and about with her new family.

If you know the story of Natalia Grace, you’ll already know exactly what we’re on about here.

If you don’t, there’s a lot to get through.

You might be better off starting with the Investigation Discovery series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, which covers most of the ground that we know for sure.

Basically, the Ukrainian – who has a rare form of dwarfism – was raised in an orphanage until she came to the United States and was eventually adopted by the Barnett family.

CBS

They started to suspect that she wasn’t actually a child at all, but might have been born in 1989.

The family even petitioned to have her official birth date changed to that year, which it remains to this day.

However, her birth mother says she was born on September 4 2003, making her 19-years-old nowadays, and meaning that she was a child when the Barnetts had her, before they moved her into an apartment in 2013, when she would have been nine.

The Barnetts had claimed that Natalia was abusive to them, as well as lying about her age.

Nowadays, Natalia is living with a different family, the Mans family.

She was spotted out and about with them, selling fireworks in a tent.

Instagram/@themansfamily11

The photos were shared by an official account for the family, and feature Natalia seemingly happy alongside her adoptive father and pastor, Antwon Mans.

It being the July 4 weekend, there’s plenty of demand for fireworks, which might explain why they were selling them out of this tent at an event.

Natalia has always refuted the allegations made by the Barnett family, stating that she was a child.

There’s set to be a new documentary later this year called The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks.

That will hopefully shed some light on what she genuinely believes, offering her the chance to get her side of the story across.

Instagram/@themansfamily11

The Barnetts adopted her in 2010, before petitioning to have her birth date legally changed to 1989, as well as citing ‘violent behaviour’ against them by Natalia.

It was Natalia’s biological mother, who was found in June, that said she was born in 2003, and is therefore 19-years-old.

After the Barnetts moved to Canada with their biological children in 2013, they left Natalia alone, for which they were charged with neglect of a dependent.

Michael Barnett was found not guilty in 2022, whereas Kristine Barnett had her charges dismissed in March.

Meanwhile, Natalia seems to be happy enough with the Mans family, who have taken her in since the ordeal with the Barnetts.