This is what happened to Natalia Grace and the Mans family after the events depicted in ‘Good American Family’

Natalia Grace is a Ukrainian-born American with dwarfism who was adopted from a Ukrainian orphanage in 2008 by Dyan and Gary Ciccone, from New Hampshire. She was then placed for adoption again in 2010, and was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett.

The Barnett’s then accused her of being a grown woman posing as a small child and changed Grace’s birth certificate to show a birth year of 1989, making her an adult at the time of adoption.

Given the controversies, her life has been covered by an Investigation Discovery docuseries, ‘The Curious Case of Natalia Grace’, and by a drama series based on the events, ‘Good American Family’, on Hulu.

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace ran for three series, with no plans in place as of now to proceed with a fourth.

‘Good American Family’ has aired six of the eight episodes recorded. Episode 7 airs on April 23 and Episode 8 on April 30.

Who were the Mans in Natalia Grace’s life?

After the Barnett’s had changed Grace’s birth certificate, they moved to Canada with their biological children, leaving Grace in an apartment in Indiana.

Antwon and Cynthia Mans were charging Grace $250 a month in rent for the apartment and offered to take Grace in when Cynthia noticed Grace was struggling.

Cynthia Mans has said she taught Grace how to read, write and do math.

In 2016, the Manses sought legal guardianship of Grace. Michael Barnett filed an objection on the grounds that she was an adult, based on the amended birth certificate.

The Manses attempted to have the change of birth certificate voided, but were unsuccessful. However Grace continued to live with them and was formally adopted by them in 2023.

Is Natalia Grace still living with the Mans?

In the docuseries, ‘The Curious Case of Natalia Grace’, Antwon Mans called the producers and said there was a “situation.”

“Something ain’t right with Natalia,” he said on the call that was recorded and shown.

“Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself,” he added. “We’re done. We’re done with her.”

The Manses said that Grace’s boyfriend, Neil, a man living in the UK, who Grace had met online had “completely flipped Natalia’s mind against her family.” And that he had “convinced Natalia that what he was saying was right and we were wrong.”

Neil then contacted Nicole and Vincent DePaul, a couple with dwarfism, who had originally planned to adopt Grace.

The Depauls flew to Tennessee and waited outside a church, where Grace was attending a service with the Manses. She pretended to go to use the restroom and left with Nicole DePaul. She now lives with the DePauls.

“This is all we’ve ever wanted for her — Natalia’s life as she wants to live it,” Nicole DePaul says in the documentary. “Besides having my own daughter, rescuing Natalia is one of the most proudest moments of my life.”

What happened after Natalia Grace moved in with the DePauls

From what was seen in the docuseries, at least at first Natalia Grace did not want to cut ties with the Manses. Nicole DePaul told People in January 2025: “At first it was bumpy because the [Manses] were still involved.They were calling Natalia constantly and trying to wheel her back in.”

A phone call is shown between Cynthia Mans and Nicole DePaul, in which Mans says: “That is not your daughter, that is mine.”

DePaul retorts: “ Going forward, Cynthia, you listen and respect her as an adult.”

In the docuseries, neighbors and people connected to the Manses make allegations that the couple abused Grace and other adoptive children in their care.

Grace refused to comment on the allegations and when asked if she was ever hit she said: “Not anything crazy. Maybe a little pop on the butt or something.” No action has been taken by authorities or charges brought over the allegations.

What’s not clear at the time of publication is whether Grace and the Manses remain in contact. In the final episode of the docu-series, Breaking the Chains, she was living with the DePauls and pursuing a romantic relationship.

She did say in the docuseries that leaving the Manses was the “biggest and hardest decision” she had ever taken in her life. She also said: “I deeply regret how I did it. I wish I’d told my parents because I didn’t want to hurt my mom, I didn’t want to hurt my dad. I just want to live a normal life.”

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