In 2023, audiences found themselves captivated by The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, the hit ID channel true-crime docuseries that also aired on Max, and explored the strange story of the Ukranian-born Grace who was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett. After calling her true age into question, they abandoned her to live on her own when it was later confirmed that she was still a minor. The saga continued in 2024 with Natalia Speaks, which ended with her being taken in by the Mans family. For the creators of the explosive series, they thought that was the end of it until they received that “bombshell” phone call.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Hot Snakes Media co-founders and producers Eric and Shannon Evangelista mentioned they didn’t plan on making a third series in the story of Natalia Grace, but that’s just what ended up happening after they received a phone call from Bishop Antwon Mans – the one we all heard at the end of Natalia Speaks.
It was Christmas Eve, and it was, for us, this bombshell phone call. From then, we just said we had to pick up our cameras and follow it. That’s what we did.
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The story of Grace will continue in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter, which is set to air on ID over two nights on Jan. 6 and 7, and stream on Max. Things will pick up right where they left off with that phone call from Bishop Mans, in which he stated “something ain’t right with Natalia.” Like the Barnett’s before them, it’s said that the Mans family exploited Grace, and subjected her to physical and financial abuse, claims they refused to respond to in the latest chapter. For ID president Jason Sarlanis, he says the network had no qualms about continuing to tell Natalia’s story.
“There were zero hesitations in continuing this story. We had become so invested as a network in Natalia’s story, knowing that there were more twists and turns, we needed to see how it was going to [end]. That’s why we greenlit it.”
Natalia Grace is Currently “Safe”
Following the ending to Natalia Speaks in 2024, Grace’s social media accounts were flooded with fans who were concerned about her well-being. She made a brief statement saying that she was doing okay, but that she had “signed an agreement with the show to keep things confidential for now.” Since then, her accounts have disappeared, leaving everyone to wonder what happened to her.
While we’ll have to wait until The Final Chapter airs to know for sure, the Evangelistas have assured everyone that Natalia is currently “safe.” They also mentioned that after seeing everything she went through over the course of their journey with her, they have nothing but “respect” for Grace now that she seems to have come out on the other side of things in good spirits.
“I think that Natalia is a survivor. I think she is incredibly strong. I think that right now, we’re able to verify that she is safe and she is well taken care of and that feels great. She’s a very strong, intelligent young woman. She’s very, very capable and she’s overcome so much in her life. We all have a lot of respect for her resilience.”
Hopefully this is truly the end of the saga, and Grace can finally find some peace and just live her life free of worry. You can see for yourself how it all ends when The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter premieres on Jan.6 and concludes on Jan. 7 on ID and Max.