• Hulu’s new miniseries “Good American Family” is based on the real story of Natalia Grace Mans.
• Natalia (Imogen Faith Reid) is a Ukrainian orphan who was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett.
• Kristine (Ellen Pompeo) and Michael (Mark Duplass) became convinced Natalia is actually an adult.

“Good American Family” premiered on Hulu this week, adding another layer to the ongoing fascination with Natalia Grace Mans and the disputed events of her adoption.

Much like Hulu’s Emmy-winning show “The Act,” which was inspired by Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the murder of her mother, Dee Dee, “Good American Family” is based on a headline-grabbing true story about a complex family dynamic that landed some members in court.

Natalia, a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism, was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010. The couple was told that Natalia was 6 years old at the time.

They came to believe Natalia was actually an adult masquerading as a child and successfully petitioned in court to change her birth year from 2003 to 1989. Kristine also accused Natalia of making violent threats against herself and other family members, which Natalia has denied.

After relocating Natalia to an independent apartment in Indiana, the family moved to Canada with their three biological sons.

In 2019, the couple faced neglect charges in connection to Natalia’s case, though Michael was later acquitted and charges against Kristine were dismissed. Natalia was then later adopted by another family, Cynthia and Antwon Mans.

Each episode of “Good American Family” is preceded by a legal disclaimer, which reads in part, “This series portrays certain allegations by the individuals involved in this story… It reflects and dramatizes multiple conflicting points of view.”

Here’s how the cast of “Good American Family” compares to their real-life counterparts.

Imogen Faith Reid stars as Natalia Grace when she joins the Barnett family.

Natalia Grace as an adult, left, and Imogen Faith Reid in “Good American Family.”Investigation Discovery; Disney/Ser Baffo

In “Good American Family,” Natalia is introduced as an orphan in desperate need of assistance. The Barnetts are told that her previous adoption fell through and she’ll be put in a group home if the agency can’t find a new family.

When she meets her new adoptive parents, Imogen Faith Reid plays Natalia as sweet and childlike; she immediately begins calling Kristine “mommy” and Michael “daddy.”

However, Reid’s Natalia is also depicted as prone to mood swings and violent outbursts, including one scene where she wakes Kristine up in the middle of the night while holding a knife.

In the second part of ID’s documentary series “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” which aired in January 2024, the real Natalia alleged that Kristine abused her and coached her to say that she was older than she actually was.

She also agreed to take a TruDiagnostic DNA blood test, which showed that her biological age was close to 22 at the time. That would mean Natalia was about 7 years old when she was adopted by the Barnetts, despite Kristine’s continued insistence that she was much older.

In an email to Business Insider, Katherine Barnett said she and her then-husband “did not incite the reaging of Natalia, the local police department detective, Detective Clouse did.” She also said that “Natalia was found by many parties, forensic evidence, and state law enforcement outside of myself and Michael to be an adult.”

Ellen Pompeo plays Kristine Barnett, Natalia’s adoptive mother.

Kristine Barnett, left, and Ellen Pompeo in “Good American Family.”Michael Barnett/ID; Disney/Ser Baffo

The first episode of “Good American Family” opens with a scene set in 2019; Kristine, who had written a book about her son’s autism called “The Spark,” is giving a speech about sticking by the people she loves when she’s abruptly arrested. The police officer says she’s being charged with child neglect, the abandonment of a dependent, and conspiracy to commit neglect.

“You are arresting the wrong person. She’s not who she says she is!” Kristine exclaims. “That bitch tried to kill me!”

The show then flashes back to the fall of 2010, when the Barnetts are approached about adopting Natalia and are told they have only 24 hours to decide. Although the couple is strapped for cash, they agree, with Kristine saying she believes the adoption is God’s will.

In the first two episodes, Ellen Pompeo portrays Kristine as a devoted mother of three boys and a generous teacher primarily focused on helping kids with disabilities.

“I want people just to think about how they look at things and what kind of judgments they make based on the way people look,” Pompeo told Variety of the role, her first appearance as lead on TV since she wrapped her 20-season run on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

“I think we just need to check our own biases and question why we believe what we believe,” she added.

In real life, The neglect charges against Kristine were dismissed in March 2023. The following year, Kristine described Natalia as a “sociopath,” writing in a public statement, “Natalia will go to great lengths to hurt people but also to gain tremendous amounts of sympathy at the same time.”

Mark Duplass plays Michael Barnett, Natalia’s adoptive father.

Kristine and Michael Barnett, left, and Michael Barnett in “Good American Family.”Michael Barnett/ID; Disney/Ser Baffo

The opening scene of “Good American Family” alludes to the Barnetts’ eventual split. When Kristine is arrested onstage, one of her sons asks whether they should call their dad. She replies, “No, this is his fault.”

When the show flashes back to 2010, Mark Duplass is introduced as Michael, a downtrodden husband who works long shifts to provide for his family. The first episode also reveals that Michael is desperate for a daughter; he’s still reeling from their recent failed adoption of a little girl, which contributes to his willingness to adopt Natalia.

In real life, Michael filed for divorce from Kristine in 2014, one year after the family moved to Canada. He was acquitted of neglect charges in October 2022.

In a 2024 episode of “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” Michael says that Kristine, who did not participate in the docuseries, manipulated him and that she was cruel to Natalia.

In an email to Business Insider, Kristine Barnett denied all allegations that she “abandoned” or “abused” Natalia.

A lawyer for Michael Barnett declined to comment when reached by Business Insider.

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