The crazy, complicated story about Natalia, the Ukrainian orphan who may or may not have been an adult masquerading as a child, caused widespread confusion and chaos last month. Now the most crucial missing piece of the extremely complicated puzzle — Natalia herself — has finally been found. By Dr. Phil.
In an appearance on Dr. Phil that will air on Thursday, Natalia, who has a rare form of dwarfism that makes it difficult to gauge her exact age, denies what her former adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, have claimed: that when they adopted her as a 6–8-year-old child, they discovered she was really a mentally disturbed adult who threatened their family.
The Barnetts adopted Natalia from an orphanage in Florida and brought her to Indiana with them in 2010. But two years later, they petitioned a judge to officially have her age changed to 22, after they claimed to have conducted bone-density tests that reflected her accurate age. Soon after, they went to Canada with their son, leaving Natalia alone in an apartment, which authorities are now saying amounts to felony abandonment. The Barnetts deny the charges, and say Natalia was a “con artist” who “scammed” them and made violent threats to their family. Others have offered support to Natalia, including her Ukrainian birth mother, who told the Daily Mail that she was forced to give her up when she was born in 2003, which would make Natalia 16. Lawyers who have represented Natalia have also said they believe she is not lying about her age.
In a preview clip, Dr. Phil says, “I guess it really comes down to whether or not you are an evil psychopath demon who’s come over here to kill everybody.” Natalia replies, looking visibly upset, “It’s not true, at all.” The clip shows Natalia entering the Dr. Phil set with the help of a walker, and speaking without an accent.
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In another clip shared with the Cut, Natalia says she does not remember undergoing the bone-density tests the Barnetts claim they conducted. Their trial is scheduled to begin in January 2020.
The episode has the very Dr. Phil title of “Ukrainian Orphan: Child or Adult Psychopath? The Exclusive Interview With Dwarf Accused of Posing As a Child.”