The Crazy Real Tale of the Ideal American Family
Good American Family Entertainment Television: An Unbelievable True Story
The dramatic yet true story of Natalia Grace, who has a rare form of dwarfism, served as the inspiration for the Hulu series Good American Family. Grace's adoptive parents declared in 2012 that she was an adult pretending to be a child and that her age had been legally altered. The show explores the reasons behind the increased scrutiny around Grace's identity and age.
Ellen Pompeo from Grey's Anatomy plays Kristine Barnett in the 2010 adoption of a seven-year-old Natalia in the television series Good American Family. Because of her son Jacob, a physics whiz with autism who made headlines for doing exceptionally well in school while experts questioned his skills, Barnett was a rising celebrity on the speakers' circuit at the time. In the program, her husband Michael (Mark Duplass) is thrilled to have a daughter at last, and Kristine views Natalia (Imogen Faith Reid) as her next project.
The Barnetts updated Natalia's age from 8 to 22 in 2012, both in real life and on the show, and relocated her into an apartment so she could live independently. Both Michael and Kristine Barnett were accused of abandoning a dependant; Michael was found not guilty, and Kristine's accusations were withdrawn. In the documentary series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, which just released its third season in January and featured Natalia on the cover of People magazine's January 13, 2025 issue, both Michael Barnett and the real Natalia Grace had the opportunity to present their cases.
Here are some of the most significant events in Good American Family and how they relate to the statements made by Natalia and the Barnetts in previous interviews.
What transpired in the Barnetts' home with Natalia Grace?
Michael Barnett outlines his family's motivation for adopting Natalia in the first season of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: "We wanted to help somebody who was in danger of never being loved."
However, the Barnetts and Natalia have both accused one another of abuse. As someone who suffers from trauma and chronic pain, Natalia has maintained that they were impatient with her, despite the Barnetts' claims that she tortured them.
Initially, the family went to Disneyland with Natalia for their honeymoon. However, her new parents became suspicious as soon as she moved into her new house. According to Michael, Kristine gave Natalia her first bath in the new home and was shocked to see that Natalia had full pubic hair in the first season of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. He claims that Natalia confessed to concealing bloody panties while on her period. He claims that Natalia would attempt to urinate on her six-year-old brother Ethan, fecate in the car, and spread the excrement on the younger kid around six months after moving in with the Barnetts. Additionally, he said that when the car was moving, she would throw the door open.
According to the Barnetts, Natalia would abandon her boys' toys in the street and even threaten to kill them while they were asleep. Jacob Barnett claims in the documentary series that Natalia kept blades in her bedroom; Michael has stated that he discovered Natalia with a knife on the edge of his bed. In the documentary series, Natalia confronts Michael about this story, claiming, "I can not bend my fingers to even handle a knife." She claims that a scene from the 2009 horror film Orphan is being repeated by the Barnetts. According to People, she says she was pepper-sprayed and struck with a belt while residing with the Barnetts.
These tales are interwoven within the plot of Good American Family. One of the series' most dramatic situations involves Kristine telling Natalia to clean the kitchen, only to be shocked when her coffee tastes like dishwashing liquid. Despite claiming that her diminutive stature was causing her to struggle with adequate kitchen cleaning, Natalia is accused of attempting to poison Kristine.
In the documentary series, Natalia claims that Kristine Barnett actually arranged the poisoning. According to Jacob Barnett, the incident broke any trust they may have had. "I am afraid Natalia is coming to poison us, therefore I can not share a drink with anyone." (Kristine Barnett did not answer the production's request for comment or take part in the documentary series).
For what reason was Natalia Grace's age altered?
Why the Barnetts altered Natalia's age is still one of the most significant mysteries.
She was about seven years old when she was adopted by the Barnetts in 2010, but because of her adult teeth and public hair, they began to think she was an adult. When Kristine discovers a bloody tampon on their home's floor while doing a TV interview, she decides to prove Natalia is an adult in Good American Family. She starts by arranging for doctors to verify that Natalia is an adult, aged 22, after which she secures an apartment and forces her to live alone.
According to Michael, it is true that in 2012, an Indiana court changed Natalia Grace's birth year from 2003 to 1989 after a detective determined that her birth certificate appeared to be fraudulent. The real Natalia was forced to live alone in an apartment, just like in the show. Natalia discusses in the documentary series how her residences were never completely accessible to her, since she was unable to reach the mailbox, the stove, or the shelves, and she was not provided with a phone to contact for assistance.
She was taken in by a neighbor named Cynthia Mans, who persuaded her to move in with her husband, Antwon, a Christian preacher, and their ten kids. They took care of Natalia once she moved in, and in 2023 they formally adopted her. In the documentary series, Natalia's birthdate is reverted to 2003 after a DNA test determined that she is roughly 22 years old.
The conclusion of the Good American Family
Natalia confronts her adoptive father, Michael Barnett, at the end of the second season of the documentary series. He tells her, "I punish myself for not being more powerful." She claims that because he came on the show and expressed regret, he was forgiven.
This one-on-one exchange between Michael and Natalia concludes Good American Family. Immediately following Michael's acquittal in the show, Natalia visits his home and queries why he did not do more to assist her. She says, "I was a kid." "You were meant to be my father." He "did not have the strength," Michael informs her.
Then Kristine arrived at the residence with their kid, Jacob. The fact that Michael and Kristine are no longer together surprises him. They did, in fact, part ways in 2014. In the show, Kristine asks Michael if they can remain with him after claiming that there was a gas leak at her current lodging. Michael makes it plain to Natalia that he supports her by saying that Jacob can but Kristine cannot. Natalia tells Jacob (Aaron Potter) that it is acceptable because he was once a child when he turns to her and apologizes for not doing more to defend her.
After Michael is found not guilty, the show concludes with Natalia encircled by her new adopted family's siblings. They read aloud the numerous flattering remarks made about their sister on social media, implying that Natalia prevailed in the court of public opinion regardless of the judicial outcome involving the Barnetts.
