See All of the Bombshell Moments So Far From ‘The Curious Case of Natalia Grace’ Season 3

Nicole and Vince DePaul Rescue Natalia Grace

Nicole and Vince DePaul, who tried to adopt Natalia Grace back in 2009 before “the other” family got involved, devised an elaborate plan that saw them drive all the way down from New York to Tennessee to “rescue” Natalia from her current family, the Manses, who the DePauls believe were abusing, controlling, frightening and robbing their adoptive daughter. The series opens with the dramatic escape in the first episode.

Natalia now lives with the DePauls, but the transition hasn’t been totally smooth, mostly due to continued interference from the Manses.

Natalia Grace Finds Love With Neil

A surprising fact revealed in the very first episode of the show’s continuation: Natalia Grace has a boyfriend named Neil. Though she never met the U.K.-based man in person and he only appears in the series with his face obscured, he proves to be instrumental in helping Natalia break free from the Manses’ control by coordinating with the DePauls, with whom Natalia is now living.

“I grew feelings. He claimed he grew feelings. I opened my heart. It felt really good,” Natalia said of her long-distance boyfriend, who she met via social media.

The Ukrainian orphan even traveled to the U.K. to visit Neil, as depicted in the docuseries. Nicole confirmed that the man is “legit.”

Antwon Mans, the Divine

Antwon and Cynthia Mans took Natalia Grace in after her first set of adoptive parents, the Barnetts, abandoned her alone in an apartment before moving to Canada. While certainly magnanimous at first – at least on the surface – the third chapter of Natalia’s story reveals a little more about Antwon: mostly allegations that he’s a divine being keeping Natalia captive in a home-grown cult.

“She has been indoctrinated by Antwon and Cynthia Manses,” the Burnett’s lawyer said during episode one. 

Antwon also now goes by “Bishop” – a moniker he gave himself. Oh, and they’ve convinced Natalia he is “being used in the gift of prophecy by God,” according to her own words. She also claims she’s seen her adoptive father perform miracles and cast a demon out of at least one person.

Natalia Grace, the ATM

Throughout the series it’s heavily suggested Antwon and Cynthia Mans adopted Natalia Grace for her government-given Social Security payouts, which went directly to Cynthia as the payee. 

A neighbor named Robert, who said Cynthia had babysat for his son, claimed the couple only adopt kids for the cash benefits and even tried to get him to sign over his son during a custody dispute.

Even after Natalia ditched the Manses, the first concern Cynthia expressed while texting with her adoptive daughter was about the Social Security checks.

Beth Karas added the Manses have been taking money from Natalia since they took her in: “They have been knocking her over like a bank since she was a child.” She also says she failed to find any other source of income for the Mans family.

Cynthia and Antwon Mans Allegedly Abused Natalia Grace

Despite Natalia Grace herself neither confirming nor denying reports of abuse by Cynthia and Antwon Mans at first, many other people who knew the couple appeared in the documentary or were recorded making accusations of physical abuse against them.

Robert said that after Cynthia babysat for his son, he had to call Child Protective Services after she wouldn’t let the boy use the bathroom and he peed all over himself. The boy also claimed Cynthia “whooped” him and they “were very violent” Another family friend, Anna, who had a double wedding with the Manses, said Natalia “used to get beat on all the time. They were violent to her. Cynthia sometimes, Antwon more so.”

Natalia would eventually deny that Cynthia ever slapped her when asked directly by Nicole DePaul, but Nicole claims it was a “premediated denial” and that the reason Natalia had to be picked up in the middle of the night was because she was “scared” of the Manses.

The Manses have not replied to a request to comment on the new allegations of abuse.