Natalia Grace denied trying to harm the Barnetts and said she wanted people to hear her account in a PEOPLE interview published January 2, 2025. PEOPLE described it as her first interview since The Curious Case of Natalia Grace debuted in 2023. The interview appeared four days before the announced premiere of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter.
What did Natalia Grace say in the interview?
Grace told PEOPLE she felt anxious about filming and described herself as a quiet person who likes reading with a hot drink. “I have anxiety all the way to the roof,” she said. She also objected to public labels such as “fake,” “liar” and “pedophile,” saying, “That’s not who I am. But that seems to be the only thing that people know — and that’s why it hurts me a lot.” PEOPLE’s January 2, 2025 interview
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Did Natalia Grace deny hurting the Barnetts?
Yes. Grace denied trying to harm Kristine or Michael Barnett. She challenged the physical plausibility of allegations that she had threatened them, asking, “Do I look like somebody that could push someone twice my size into a fence? Do I look like I could even grip a knife?”
Grace also said she felt “brainwashed” and alleged that Kristine Barnett coached her to lie about her age and say she had tried to murder her parents. Grace’s statements are her account in the interview, not independent findings about what happened.
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What did the Barnetts allege, and what is disputed?
The PEOPLE story recounts the Barnetts’ claims that Grace threatened or tried to harm them, including allegations involving Kristine’s coffee and an electric fence. The Barnetts could not be reached for comment for that story. PEOPLE also reported that Kristine Barnett publicly denied abuse allegations in 2024 and described Grace as a sociopath.
These competing accounts should not be treated as established fact simply because they appeared in a documentary or interview. The statements belong to the people making them, and the available court outcomes do not settle every allegation portrayed in the series.
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What is the background to the age dispute?
PEOPLE reports that Grace was born in Ukraine in 2003 and arrived in the United States through adoption in 2008. Kristine and Michael Barnett adopted her in 2010, believing she was six. In 2012, they successfully petitioned a Marion County probate court to change her recorded birth year from 2003 to 1989. That change records what the court ordered; it does not, by itself, establish what each person knew or intended.
The same PEOPLE account says the Barnetts later left Grace living in Indiana while they moved to Canada. In the subsequent criminal cases, Michael Barnett was found not guilty in 2022 of three neglect charges and conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent. Charges against Kristine Barnett were dropped in March 2023, according to The Independent. Those case outcomes are distinct from a comprehensive ruling on every claim made in the docuseries.
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What was happening with Grace’s later living arrangements?
PEOPLE reported that Grace moved in with Cynthia and Antwon Mans after living alone, was legally adopted by them in 2023, and left their home in December 2023 to live with Nicole and Vince DePaul. PEOPLE also recounted abuse allegations about the Mans from witnesses and friends. The Mans and their lawyers did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment, and Grace declined to confirm or deny incidents. The allegations therefore need to remain attributed rather than presented as a settled finding.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When did The Final Chapter premiere?
At the time of the interview, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter was announced to premiere January 6 and 7, 2025, on Investigation Discovery and stream on Max. Access Hollywood also listed those dates in its coverage of Grace’s interview and the season announcement. These are historical premiere details, not confirmation that the season is currently available in any particular country. The available reporting does not establish its present streaming catalog status.
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