Many viewers are wondering exactly what happened during the ending of Investigation Discovery's The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks.
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace first premiered on Investigation Discovery (ID) on May 29, 2023 and was also added to the Max streaming service simultaneously. The six-episode Season 1 of the documentary detailed how Ukrainian orphan Natalia Grace Mans was brought into the home of Michael and Kristine Barnett and all the controversies that followed.
A second season of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, subtitled Natalia Speaks, was recently released on ID and Max, featuring Natalia's side of the story.
What Happened During Natalia Speaks' Ending?
Natalia Speaks centered around Natalia Grace Mans and featured her side of the story regarding everything Michael and Kristine Barnett accused her of.
For reference, Natalia Grace was adopted by Michael and Kristine in 2010. They accused her of being much older than she actually was and also alleged that she threatened their entire family. In 2012, Michael and Kristine legally changed Natalia's birth year from 2003 to 1989 and even abandoned her as they left the United States.
After DNA testing proved in Natalia Speaks that Natalia Grace was a child while she was with the Barnett's, the last episode of the second season featured Natalia and Michael sitting down together to properly talk and attempt to bury the hatchet (according to the documentary, Kristine declined to make an appearance).
The two each said what was on their respective hearts and minds, and Natalia forgave Michael on camera. Natalia even prayed for Michael, and the two parted ways in what seemed to be a happy ending, considering everything that occurred between Natalia and the Barnetts.
The documentary's ending also showcased Natalia going to her local courthouse with Cynthia and Antwon Mans where the couple legally adopted her.
However, as the screen faded to black at the end of the final episode, some text appeared on the screen revealing that the ID producers received a "shocking phone call" from Antwon and Cynthia Mans sometime around Christmas.
The last few seconds of the episode then featured some of that phone call, which included Antwon revealing that "something ain't right with Natalia" and that she "is tweakin':"
"Something ain't right with Natalia. This girl is tweakin'. I feel like she's the enemy in the house. And she said to us, we have held her hostage. Made us look like we're the enemy. She's done other things too. But this was a new low. Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself. We're done. We're done with her."
Natalia's now-legal mother, Cynthia, also chimed in, saying, "Natalia is stabbing her family in the back, over a complete lie."
Another black screen showed up with the words "Natalia's story will continue" on it, teasing that there will be another installment in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.
What Does Natalia Speaks' Ending Mean?
Many fans seem rightfully confused at Natalia Speaks' ending. Just six months before Season 2's release, Natalia officially became part of a new family she claimed she loved and was thankful for at many different points throughout the recent episodes.
Natalia Speaks' ending teased that the Mans family is now having issues with Natalia just as the Barnett family did over a decade ago which caused this story to gain popularity.
The producers of Natalia Speaks are likely already in the early stage of getting a Season 3 developed since Natalia's story is so popular.
It is also important to note that the documentary is the most popular series on Max as of writing. While there may be some actual issues going on with Natalia and the Mans family, it is also possible that the phone call was somewhat dramatized so that the series could have a third season.
The entire situation gets even more head-scratching when taking into account that Natalia recently made a TikTok on her official page that featured pictures of her with her new family.
This video was posted to the platform on December 29, 2023, and the strange part is that her parents' TikTok account left a comment that said, "I love you so much my forever baby." Natalia even responded to the comment with her own that read, "I love you mama."
Obviously, the entire phone call between the producers and the Mans couple that was shared at the end of Natalia Speaks was not revealed, as there is no context to a lot of what they said; it can be audibly heard that quite a few cuts were made.
Whatever was said during the phone call will likely be featured in Season 3 if there is enough material to make another six episodes.
Since Natalia Speaks aired, the ending has proved to be a bit controversial. Natalia's case started as a case of child neglect and endangerment that caused Natalia a lot of trauma over the years.
Now, some fans are claiming that her story is being used for ratings and popularity, seeing as how there are so many people invested in her story. In other words, what began as a mysterious (and heartbreaking now that it was proven Natalia truly was a child) case of he-said-she-said now appears as though it is more of a reality TV series.
Of course, if there are truly harmful incidents going on within the Mans household, then they deserve to be brought to light. Still, as of now, according to social media, it seems as though everything is going well between Natalia and the Mans family.
Both seasons of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace are available to stream on Max.
