Dad Who Claimed Little Girl He Adopted Is Actually a 22-Year-Old Woman Breaks Down Over 'Abuse'

• Kristine and Michael Barnett innocently adopted a girl in 2010 with a bone growth disorder called spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia.
• They were told she was six years old, but unusual things happened, and they started questioning her identity.
• A three-part documentary series revealed that the girl was 22 and had tormented the Barnett family.

Kristine and Michael Barnett were experienced foster parents who ran a children's daycare in their Westfield, Indiana, home.

However, the couple did not know that they would one day open up their home to a "child” that would have their family in the most unbelievable media headlines.

In May 2010, Barnett adopted a curly-haired girl named Natalia. The couple went through with the adoption even after learning that Natalia had a bone growth disorder called spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia.

This rare genetic disorder leads to stature and skeletal abnormalities and is considered a form of dwarfism. None of that mattered; Kristine took in Natalia as one of her own.

She confessed that she had always wanted a big family but had complications that hindered her from having more children.

Additionally, Kristine felt privileged and in the right position to help someone who needed a family. The couple only had 24 hours to complete their emergency adoption and were told they would get a six-year-old girl.

The background information they received about Natalia was that she was born in 2003 in Ukraine and had been living in the US for two years.

The Barnetts were also told that her former adoptive parents had given her up for undisclosed reasons. Still, Kristine and her husband did not have doubts and saw a child in need.

Kristine realized the child could not walk from her condition, but she reiterated, "Out of compassion for their situation, I didn't want to press them for information on what had gone wrong."

However, as the family got to know Natalia, some things were unusual, making them suspect something was wrong.

Natalia Was Not Who the Barnett Family Thought She Was

When they brought Natalia home, Kristine and her husband realized she was very nervous, so they decided to do some fun activities as a newly extended family.

They went to Disneyland and spoiled her with ice cream and many other treats, slowly getting Natalia to open up. Michael and his wife also had two biological children, and all went to the beach together. The mother remembered her sons running back from being in the water and Natalia wanting to also take a dip.

She wanted to be carried into the ocean, and her brothers asked if they could rest a little before going back in. But all of a sudden, Natalia stood up and walked into the water.

The whole family was shocked and looked at each other in disbelief, but that was just the beginning of the unusual things about Natalia that got the family questioning her true identity.

Kristine also remembered bathing Natalia and seeing her with pubic hair, which was confusing for a six-year-old; then, she started refusing baby dolls and wanted to be around teenage girls.

Another clue was Natalia's vocabulary; she used words too big for a six-year-old. Kristine once remembered taking her to her daycare and hearing Natalia say, "These children are exhausting. I don't know how you do it."

This was another peculiar statement because Natalia was meant to be a child as well, but Kristine recalled the tone sounding like one of a mother with children.

Then she found clothes with blood in the trash, suggesting that Natalia might be hiding her period. Therefore, the questions about her identity started to haunt the Barnetts because she had also ditched the princess dresses for more grown-up clothing.

Kristine remembered that Natalia was from Ukraine and knew someone from the country. After she realized that she did not have an accent, it was even more surprising when Natalia did not understand what was meant to be her native language.

With time, Natalia's behavior worsened to the point where Michael and Kristine's children were terrified of her. It was then revealed that Natalia was given her original birthdate before she left Ukraine, but Natalia allegedly threatened to harm the family's children.

Michael also revealed that Natalia once walked into their bedroom at night holding a knife. The family got into more detail about their experience in an upcoming documentary. Still, the clip showed their son Jake admitting to not feeling safe around his former adoptive sister.

However, the real shocker was that Natalia was born in 1989, not 2003. Therefore, in 2012, Miachel and Kristine filed for her age to be changed from eight to 22, which they were granted.

What Happened after the Truth Was Revealed?

The Barnett family decided to move to Canada, where one of their sons was meant to start college, but they rented an apartment for Natalia in Indiana.

The tables turned when Kristine and Michael were sued for neglecting a dependent, which led to an investigation and arrests. However, in 2019 the couple divorced.

Kristine defended herself when accused of being a child abuser and said no child was involved. She reiterated that Natalia was a grown woman with adult teeth

She also added, ​​"She never grew a single inch, which would happen even with a child with dwarfism. The doctors all confirmed she was suffering a severe psychological illness only diagnosed in adults."

Michael and Kristine were proven not guilty in 2022. But there is more to the story in the upcoming three-part series.

Michael is enraged in the trailer, crying and screaming that his family was abused. He warned viewers that the documentary would be telling the truth, but some might not like it. Here's another shocking parenting story.