--- title: "Adopted Child Accused of Secretly Being an Adult Takes DNA Test to Prove Age" description: "A DNA test has confirmed the biological age of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan who has a rare genetic dwarfism condition." date: "2024-01-03" modified: "2024-01-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/adopted-accused-adult-dna-test-age" categories: - "DNA" - "Genetics" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "dna test" --- # Adopted Child Accused of Secretly Being an Adult Takes DNA Test to Prove Age ![A DNA test has confirmed the biological age of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan who has a rare genetic dwarfism condition.]() *\Image: ID\* A DNA test has confirmed the biological age of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan who has a rare genetic dwarfism condition and was accused of being an adult — plus, bizarrely, wanting to murder her adoptive parents — in 2012. According to the first episode of a new docuseries TV show called "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace," which aired on Monday, medical lab TruDiagnostic [determined]() she was close to 22 years old as of August. That means she was far younger than what her adoptive parents Michael and Kristine Barnett claimed her to be when they accused her of attempted murder. In 2010, the Barnetts adopted Grace as a 6-year-old girl from Ukraine. Shortly after, Michael Barnett accused her of trying to "poison and kill my wife," claiming she was an adult "sociopath." In 2012, the pair had her legal age changed from eight to 22 and forced her to move into her own apartment. After an investigation, the Barnetts were charged with child neglect, but charges have since [been dropped]() against both, at least in part due to her alleged new age. Grace, who has since been adopted by her new parents Antwon and Cynthia Mans, has long denied these allegations, claiming that she was the victim — and a child at the time the Barnetts made their accusations. And now, the DNA test suggests Grace indeed never about her real age. "This one little piece of paper throws every single lie that the Barnetts has said right into the trash with a match," she told her new adoptive father in the show. "This is so big. Because literally, this has been 13 years of just two people lying their butts off. They ruined a kid’s life." "They painted \[me\] as some big monster, when in reality they were the ones," she added. It's an extremely twisted story that's strikingly reminiscent of the 2009 horror film "Orphan," in which an adult woman poses as a 9-year-old to be adopted by a couple. More details will likely emerge as the series airs, especially when it comes to motives. "Why did you adopt me in the first place?" she asks Michael Barnett, who agreed to be filmed for the new docuseries, in a [recently shared clip](). "Many of these questions there’s not going to be a single answer to," he replied, adding that he was also a victim of his now ex-wife Kristine. **More on DNA tests:** *[DNA Tests Are a Fun Holiday Gift... Unless They Reveal a Horrifying Secret]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()