Matt Roloff of ‘Little People, Big World’ Is ‘Angry’ About Natalia Grace Situation: ‘How Can This Happen?’
Matt Roloff wants answers. Like many TV viewers, the Little People, Big World star has been captivated by the story of Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian orphan whose adoptive parents abandoned her after they became convinced she was actually an adult. But unlike many people who tuned in to watch The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, Matt has a more personal take on Natalia’s situation. Both Matt and Natalia have dwarfism, and he wants the judge who agreed to legally change her age from 8 to 22 to be held responsible for his actions.
Who is Natalia Grace?
Natalia’s story first made headlines several years ago, when her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, were charged with neglect after abandoning their daughter. The cast drew renewed attention in 2023, when the docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace aired on ID. The first part of the series focused on Kristine and Michael’s claims that Natalia – whom they adopted in 2010 — was a disturbed and violent adult woman posing as a child.
In the second part of the series, which debuted on Jan. 1, Natalia shared her side of the story. She claimed Kristine was abusive and only adopted her because she wanted people to think she was a good person.
“I feel it was a mission of, like, boosting her ego,” Natalia said.
Natalia also took a DNA test, which confirmed she was now 22 years old, refuting the Barnetts’ claims that she was an imposter.
The ‘Little People, Big World’ star suspects he and Natalia Grace may have the same type of dwarfism
Matt has been following Natalia’s bizarre saga. In June, after The Curious Case of Natalia Grace premiered, he said he was “touched” by her story. He also shared a link to her GoFundMe on his Instagram. He weighed in again after the second half of the docuseries aired.
“This story about Natalia Grace makes me angry how this can happen!” he wrote on Instagram. “I wish her the very very best and many future blessing!”
Matt also wondered if Natalia’s doctors might have made a mistake when diagnosing her with spondyleopiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare form of dwarfism.
“It does seem like they have her misdiagnosed as Spondyleopiphyseal (SED),” Matt wrote. “I’m not a doctor or genetictist but she seems to have the same form of dwarfism as I do…. Diastrophic Displasia. Any experts out there??”
The TLC star also wanted to know if Natalia had any legal recourse against the Indiana judge who agreed to the Barnetts’ request to change her age. (In 2012, her birth year was shifted from 2003 to 1989, making her current legal age 34.)
“Judge needs to be held accountable,” he wrote.
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace is now streaming on Max.
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