The Manses' Revelations About Natalia Grace Shocked Documentary Viewers

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Published Jan. 4 2024, 11:08 a.m. ET

Natalia Grace with the Mans during an interview on Dr. Phil.
Source: CBS

If you've paid attention to the ongoing saga around Natalia Grace, you likely know that she was adopted by a family who then abandoned her and later claimed that she was an adult who was pretending to be a child. After bouncing around to several different foster homes after she was abandoned by Michael and Kristine Barnett, Natalia appears to have finally found some semblance of happiness with the Mans family in Indiana.

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In The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, which was released on Jan. 2, 2024, Natalia announced that she wants to completely sever ties with the Barnetts. Now, many want to know what her relationship with the Manses is going to be like. Although things initially appeared to be rosy with the Manses, it seems like everything may not be as great as it seems.

Natalia Grace during an interview in a green dress.
Source: ID
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What happened with the Mans family and Natalia?

In the series, Natalia explained that she wants to be fully adopted by the Manses.

"[The Barnetts] never acted like my parents. Even though I’m still legally theirs right now, they are not my parents. Antwon and Cynthia Mans are my parents," Natalie explained. "So, the only thing that’s left connecting me to the Barnetts is my last name. And that’s about to change as well.”

Cynthia and Antwon have reportedly met with an adoption attorney to discuss the next steps toward adoption. Natalia, who is an adult now, doesn't need as much actual support as she once did, but she has said that the Manses have been the only real family she's ever known.

Natalia also said this will be her final step toward permanently cutting ties with the Barnetts, which is a bonus in her mind.

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"If I have to sign something, I have to sign it Barnett, and I don’t want that to be my identity. Because with everything that happened, it’s all connected to the Barnetts,” Natalia explained. “And I don’t want that to be connected to me anymore. I just want to start new and not have to look back. If someone asks me my name, I don’t want to say Natalia Barnett, I want to say Natalia Mans because that’s who I am. I am not a Barnett, I’m a Mans.”

Source: YouTube
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Things took a turn at the end of the documentary.

After what appears to be a happy ending, though, the documentary's final moments reveal that the Manses are also growing mistrustful of Natalia.

“Something ain't right with Natalia. This girl is tweakin'," Antwon claimed to the producers of the Investigation Discovery series in a voiceover. "I feel like she's the enemy in the house. And she said to us, we have held her hostage. Made us look like we're the enemy."

"Natalia is stabbing her family in the back over a complete lie," Cynthia added.

"She's done other things too, but this was a new low," Antwon continues. "Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself. We're done. We're done with her."

It isn't clear what the couple was referring to, but the series ends with a title card suggesting Natalia's story will continue. The happy ending isn't all it was cracked up to be.

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