You probably remember the headlines. They were everywhere. A mom claims her adopted daughter is actually a "sociopath" adult woman masquerading as a child. It sounded like the plot of a horror movie—literally, people compared it to the film Orphan. But for Kristine Barnett, it wasn't a movie; it was a legal and media firestorm that basically dismantled her life as a parenting "expert."
Honestly, tracking down what is Kristine Barnett doing now feels a bit like chasing a ghost through social media archives and court records.
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She isn't the public figure she once was. Back in the day, she was the "Polished Parent," the author of The Spark, a book about raising her math-prodigy son, Jacob. She was doing the talk show circuit. She was a hero to parents of children with autism. Now? The spotlight is a lot harsher.
Life After the Legal Storm
In 2023, the legal weight finally lifted, at least on paper. While her ex-husband Michael Barnett went to trial and was found not guilty of neglect in 2022, Kristine's path was a bit different. The charges against her—multiple counts of neglecting a dependent—were officially dismissed in March 2023.
Does that mean she’s "back to normal"? Not even close.
Reports and public records suggest Kristine has largely moved away from the Midwest. While the family famously fled to Canada in 2013 so Jacob could pursue his studies at the Perimeter Institute, she didn't stay there forever. Recent updates, including various social media breadcrumbs and public record searches, place her in Bradenton, Florida.
It’s a far cry from the suburban Indiana life where this whole saga started.
The Social Media Silence (and Occasional Outburst)
If you look for her on mainstream platforms, you’ll find a mix of abandoned profiles and highly guarded private accounts. But she hasn't been completely silent. When the Discovery ID docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace aired, Kristine took to Facebook to defend herself.
She didn't hold back.
In posts that have since been deleted or set to private, she called the allegations of abuse "just plain false." She leaned heavily into the "if I were guilty, I’d be in jail" defense. It’s a polarizing stance, especially after DNA evidence featured in the show suggested Natalia was indeed a child when the Barnetts left her in that Lafayette apartment.
Where is She Working?
This is where things get kinda murky. Before the scandal, Kristine was a published author and ran a daycare. Those career paths are basically closed now. You can’t really be a "parenting guru" when the world has seen footage of your abandoned daughter.
Some online sleuths and local reports have suggested she’s worked various service-industry jobs in Florida to stay afloat. There’s been talk of her working in retail or fast food, though nothing is officially "LinkedIn" confirmed. It’s a massive fall from grace for someone who was once featured in 60 Minutes and Good Morning America.
The Rift with Michael and the Kids
The family unit is gone. Period.
Michael and Kristine divorced in 2014, shortly after the move to Canada. If you watched the documentary, you saw Michael basically throw Kristine under the bus, calling her a "monster" and claiming she was the mastermind behind the "re-aging" of Natalia.
- Michael's Stance: He claims he was "controlled" and "minimalized" by Kristine.
- The Sons: Jacob, Wesley, and Ethan have stayed mostly out of the fray, though Jacob’s career as a physicist remains his primary focus.
- The Defense: Kristine, for her part, maintains that Michael is rewriting history to save his own reputation.
What People Get Wrong About the "Now"
A lot of people think Kristine is still "on the run" or hiding in Canada. She isn't. She is a free woman living in the United States. The dismissal of her charges means that, legally, the state of Indiana is done with her.
But the court of public opinion? That’s a life sentence.
Every time a new "Final Chapter" or follow-up documentary drops, the interest in what is Kristine Barnett doing now spikes again. She has become a permanent fixture in the "True Crime" zeitgeist.
Why This Case Still Lingers in 2026
We are obsessed with this because it touches on our deepest fears about family and truth. Was she a victim of a sophisticated scam by a "disturbed adult," as she claimed? Or was she a mother who reached her breaking point and used a legal loophole to walk away?
The 2023 DNA results from TruDiagnostic were a turning point. They estimated Natalia’s age to be around 22 at the time of the test, meaning she was approximately 9 years old when the Barnetts left her. That single piece of data has made Kristine’s "now" very lonely.
Actionable Insights for Following the Case
If you're trying to keep up with the latest developments in 2026, here is how to cut through the noise:
- Check the Dockets: Since the criminal cases are closed, any new legal action would likely be civil. Look at Tippecanoe County or Florida civil court records for any "Barnett vs." filings.
- Verify the Sources: Avoid "fan theories" on TikTok. Stick to reporting from outlets like People or Journal & Courier, which have covered the case since the 2019 arrests.
- Watch the Re-Aging Laws: This case sparked a massive conversation about how easy it is to change a person's legal age in Indiana. Following legislative changes in "re-aging" protocols provides the best context for how this happened in the first place.
- Follow the Docuseries Updates: Production companies often keep tabs on subjects for "Where are they now?" specials. While Kristine refused to appear in the initial series, she often responds to them via her legal reps or social media.
Basically, Kristine Barnett is living a quiet, likely difficult life in Florida, far removed from the "super-mom" persona she once cultivated. She remains steadfast in her version of the story, even as the world around her has largely moved on to believing Natalia.
Explore the official court transcripts from the 2022 Michael Barnett trial to see the original evidence presented by both sides before the media narrative took over.